Takers Girls
by AsphyxiatedRequiem
Summary: If you are easily offended do not read not very good at summarys just read it, OC,jeff hardy,the undertaker,shannon moore,edge and more involved
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anybody except for those that are not famouse! this never happend and is not true, just a work of fiction.**

"LET ME OUT!!!!" Ash pounded on her bedroom door, screaming at her mother. "I wanna see DAD!"  
Her mother's voice came through the wood. "Shut-up, Ashley, or I'll have to do it for you." She heard footsteps down the hall.  
Ash sat on her bed and tried not to cry. Today was her 18th birthday. She should've been at her dad's a month ago but he'd never come to get her. He'd finally called earlier that afternoon but her mom refused to let him see her. She balled her hands into a fist, and then let out a gasp. Her left middle finger was swollen and purple. There was no telling what her face looked like.  
Ash heard a big truck with a big engine pull into the driveway. She could picture her dad pulling his 6'10" frame out form the Chevy Silverado. When she didn't hear the engine cut off she panicked. "Oh God. He's believing whatever she's telling him. He's gonna leave me here." Ash jumped up and pounded on her window. Her mother had nailed it closed from the outside, so pulling on it wouldn't work. She frantically looked around for something heavy enough to break the glass.  
She picked up her metal desk chair and heaved it against the window as hard as she could. As soon as the sound of breaking glass stopped she screamed. "DADDY!!!" She had just gotten her head out the hole when she was shoved back inside. She felt the skin on her forearm catch on a shard. She looked up to see Mark push past her mom.  
"Come here."  
Ash scrambled up. "Please don't leave me here."  
"I'm not. You're coming with me." He helped her through without getting any more cuts. Then, ignoring his screeching ex-wife, he carried her to his truck. He was down the street before he spoke again. "How bad are you hurt?"  
"I don't know. I cut my arm."  
He pulled into an empty parking lot and slammed the truck into park. "Let me look at you." He yanked a shirt out of his gym bag and carefully wiped the blood off her face. "Jesus, what'd she do to you?"  
Ash shrugged. "She got mad when I demanded to see you. I told her I was 18 now and she couldn't stop me."  
"So she beat the hell out of you?"  
Ash looked sheepish. "I may have thrown some profanities in there."  
Mark just grunted and moved down her arm. "Well, you're definitely gonna need stitches. And looks like that finger's broken. Possible concussion. We're going to the hospital."  
"Do we have to?"  
He cut her a glance out of the side of his eyes.  
"I just don't want them to write up a report. They'll want me to press charges. But I just want it over. I don't wanna have to see her again."  
"I'm sorry. We're going. I understand, but we've gotta get you fixed up."  
Ash just nodded her head.

A few hours later Heather heard the truck pull up. She scrambled down the stairs and threw open the front door. She greeted her half sister with, "You look like shit."  
Ash grinned around the swollen and bruised parts. "Love you too." She held up her left hand where her middle finger was encased in metal. "Bitch broke my finger."  
Mark sighed. "She got 14 stitches in her arm. Four in her eyebrow and two in her lip. But she's worried about a cracked finger."  
Heather took her sister's good hand and they went upstairs. "Dad called from the hospital. I have been climbing the walls."  
"Awww…for lil ole me?"  
"Can the sarcasm, Ash. Dad's been worried about this for years now."  
"What? Why?"  
"He said it wasn't anything he could put his finger on, but he thought she'd been hitting you."  
"Well, he's really pissed. He barely said anything in the truck."  
"You know he's not mad at you, right?"  
Ash nodded. "I think he's disappointed that I let it go this far. Which is worse. I'd rather him be mad."  
"I totally understand. But everything's gonna be fine now. You don't have to live with your momma now."  
Ash shrugged and mumbled a quick goodnight.

Late that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Ash heard her door creak open. A large shadow blocked the hall light. "Dad?"  
"I didn't mean to wake you up yet."  
"You didn't. Can't sleep either?"  
He left the door cracked enough to let a little light in. "Not really." He sat on the end of her bed. "When you guys were little, I'd come check on you as soon as I got home. It was the first thing I did. You'd both be piled up in one or the other's room."  
Ash smiled at the memory. "We'd leave a nightlight on to make sure you knew who's room we were in."  
"Yep. And I'd see that you were fine and I'd go to bed." Mark was silent for a moment. "My worst fear was that something would happen to my girls while I was gone. It still is. Even though you're both adults now."  
"Dad? I really need to tell you something. And I know you're gonna get upset."  
"Just tell me."  
"You remember when we had to go to court about who got me after the divorce?"  
"Yeah."  
"You remember how you took me out for ice cream the day before?"  
"Yeah. The day I screwed everything up."  
"What exactly happened? I was too little to remember it all."

Mark sighed heavily and readjusted himself on the bed. "I argued with you mother to let me take you out that day. She was saying that she'd make sure I never saw you again after they gave her custody. So I said fine. Let me have her for one afternoon. I knew my lawyers would get me at least partial custody. I hadn't seen you in about 3 weeks and you were a rambunctious child anyway. So you were bouncing all over the place that day. You caught sight of Baskin Robins and took off right into the street. I think you took a few years off my life right then. I just reacted. I grabbed your arm and yanked you back to the sidewalk. I wasn't thinking about how strong I was or how little you were. I left a lot of marks. Your mother used that in court against me." Mark caught sight of her face. Tears leaked silently down her bruised cheeks. "What? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. I lied. To you. To everyone. Mom told me I had to. When I got home she saw the light bruises and started grabbing my arm, making them worse. And I had to say you did it. Or she'd make sure I never saw you again. And if I told anyone she did it, then I'd get taken to an orphanage where kids get beaten all the time and no one feeds them or let's them play…" the last few words were almost unintelligible.  
Mark scooped his child into his lap and rocked her like a baby. "Shhh. It's okay."  
"No it's not. If I'd have told the truth maybe I could've lived with you. And this never would've happened."  
"But we'll never know what coulda woulda shoulda happened. And you'll drive yourself crazy thinking about it."  
Ash sniffled and looked up at him through watery eyes. "So, you're not mad at me?"  
"No, honey. You were four years old. I can't blame you for being scared of your momma. Hell, I was scared of her sometimes."  
"Bitch broke my finger."  
Mark couldn't help but laugh. "Why that finger though? What'd you do? Flip her off?" He took her silence for a yes. "Not smart. You knew that."  
"I know. But she had already beaten the shit out of me. So I figured fuck it. And I'd wanted to give that bitch the bird for a lotta years."  
"Me too, darlin', me too."  
They heard a door open next to them and Heathers head poked in. "Having a slumber party without me?"  
"Why don't you girls go get in my bed? Since I have to wake Ash up every hour, we'll just camp out and watch movies."  
Ash's eyes were still shiny. "Like when we were little?"  
"Yep. Except I'm not checking the closet for monsters."  
Heather snorted. "Dad, we wanted to sleep with you cause we just knew the closet monsters were terrified of the Lord of Fucking Darkness."  
"Then why'd I have to scare so many away?"  
It was Ash's turn to snort. "We wanted to see how many times you'd yell into an empty closet."  
"Rotten. You are rotten, rotten children. Why do I put up with you two?"  
"Glutton for punishment?" Heather suggested.  
"Obviously." His voice was dry. "Now go pick a movie. I'll be there in a minute." After the girls left Mark stayed a minute. He looked around at the bedroom still decorated for a child. They hadn't been able to find care bear wall paper, so Mark had a friend of his hand paint Care-A-Lot onto the walls. Every bear you could think up was in residence. As his own special touch, Mark had added one riding a Harley. Ash had squealed and refused to leave her room for hours. Mark had to smile at the memory. The three of them had eaten dinner on the floor. Like a picnic.


	2. Chapter 2

He heard them bickering good-naturedly about what movie to watch and shook his head. His track record with women hadn't been great, but having his girls made everything worth it. "What'd you two decide on?"  
They both smiled sheepishly from his king size bed. "The Crow."  
"Again? Alright. Hit play." He settled down between them and set his watch alarm to go off after an hour. Ash would get bitchey when he kept waking her up, but she'd just have to deal with it. Right on time, about 30 minutes into the movie, both girls were asleep beside him. Mark layed his head back to catch a light nap in between hourly checkups.  
Heather heard Ash sneaking out of bed the next morning. "What'cha doin'" she whispered.  
"Gonna make Dad breakfast. Wanna help?"  
Heather quietly got up and they went to the kitchen together. Ash put the coffee on while Heather scrambled a dozen eggs loaded with bacon, cheese, peppers, onions, and mushrooms. "I think I should warn you about something."  
Ash hopped up on the counter. "What?"  
"Dad's been seeing the same girl for several months now. I think he's gonna bring her home soon."  
Ash's face remained blank. "How'd they meet?"  
"At a signing."  
"I smell gold digging whore. How about you?"  
"That was my first thought."  
"Have you met her yet?""No. I think he was waiting for both of us to meet her at once."  
Ash jumped down and put some break in the toaster. "If he does bring her home, should we have some fun with her?"  
"Of course." Heather began dishing up the eggs. Two small plates and one huge one. "It's been awhile since he's brought a victim home."  
"You'd think he'd learned his lesson by now."  
"Do you think we should go easy on this one? He seems to like her. This is the longest he's dated someone."  
"How 'bout this. If she seems like the staying sort, we'll try to like her. But if she doesn't, it's full force."  
"Sounds fair. Got everything?"

Ash put the toast and coffee on the tray with the eggs. "Yep. Let's go."  
They crept back upstairs and into the bedroom. Mark opened his eyes when Ash nearly dropped her tray. "What's all this?"  
"My thank you for saving me from the she-bitch."  
"You made breakfast?"  
"Well, I made the coffee and toast. Heather did the hard part."  
They ate together while Mark told them funny antics about other wrestlers. After all the food was destroyed he cleared his throat. "Girls, I need to talk to you."  
Heather gave Ash a knowing look.  
"I've been seeing someone. Her name is Sara and I'd really like you to meet her."  
"What's she like?" Ash asked.  
"Well, she's into Harley's. She's very much like me. And I'd really like you guys to be nice to her." Heather grinned. "We'll do our best." Mark groaned. "I mean it."  
"So do we," that from Ash. He glared at her. "I know you're definition of nice, girl."  
"What?" She batted her eyelashes innocently. "It's not my fault Shannon's a masochist."  
"Besides, Dad." Heather put in. "You have to like someone a little bit to be that passionate about hurting them. Someone's in denial." "I do not like Shannon." It was Mark and Heather's turn to exchange knowing looks. "Fuck both of you. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, dad's new girlfriend. So when do we get the pleasure of her company?"  
"I haven't decided yet. But I'll let you know when I do." Mark thought that it would be a good time to change the subject. "What do you wanna do for your birthday, Ash?"  
"I don't care."  
"Yes, you do."  
A large grin split her face. "Yeah. I wanna go shopping."  
Mark groaned. "Shopping with you two? I don't know if I'm up to that." Ash pouted and tried to bring tears to her eyes.  
"Stop that. I know you can do that on command. How about you and Heather go shopping and I'll meet you two for lunch?"  
"That'll work. Can I drive?" Heather had to fight the urge to giggle. "You can drive my car." "Can I drive the truck?"  
"No." Was her dad's answer.  
"But Daddy…" "No. But I've got another idea. Get dressed."

The girls scrambled to Heather's room. Ash had to roll up the legs of her taller sister's pants, but at least she wasn't wearing the ugly dresses her mother usually packed. "What's Dad's surprise?"  
"You'll see." Was her sister's evasive answer.  
Mark took them out to the enclosed garage and pushed the button to make it go up. Ash could only stare at the late model Mustang parked beside Heather's Camero. She turned excited eyes to her father and saw him dangling keys from his fingertip. "You already have insurance, a gas card, and some shopping to do. So stay away from my truck."  
She threw herself against him and hugged him fiercely. "Thank you so much."  
"Are you gonna test drive it?"  
"Hell yeah!" Both girls jumped in and Ash stared it up. Mark walked around to the driver's side. "I'll meet you at the Olive Garden at 12:30. Be careful." "Will do." He backed up to let them out of the garage. He was almost to the front door when he heard them coming back. He pulled his wallet out with a grin. "Forget something?'  
Ash smiled sweetly, "I don't have any money, Daddy."  
Heather mirrored the gesture. "Me neither."  
"Now, I know that's a lie. But here you go anyway." He handed them a credit card. "Don't do too much damage."  
"How much is too much? 100 dollars?" Mark laughed. "I like you. Heather will spend that in the first place you go in. She knows the limits. But since it's your birthday you can double it." Heather's eyes got very large. "Both of us?" "Yes. Both of you."

Once they were on the road Ash slid her sister a questioning look. "How much is the usual limit?"  
"Um. Usually for birthdays a thousand." "Dollars?"  
"No, Ash. Chickens. Yes dollars."  
"I've never spent that much. I've never even seen that much money. I won't spend it all. Dad already bought me this car. I CAN'T spend that much of his money."  
"Ash, it's not like he's trying to buy you or anything. That's how much he gives me to shop with on my birthday."  
"A thousand dollars?"  
"Double. Remember. Double for your birthday."  
"We can't spend two thousand dollars a piece."  
"Watch me." Much later, the girls met Mark at Olive Garden. They each gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Have fun?"  
"Yeah," Ash said in a small voice. "What's wrong?"  
"She's squeamish about spending money." Heather dug into the salad as soon as the server brought it. "I'm not squeamish…really. I'm just not used to having that much money to blow. It's strange."  
"You'll get used to it." Mark shook his head at his eldest child. "Heather will have you shopping like a mad demon before long." "If you say so." "Did you find anything you liked?"  
"Uh-huh." "Did you buy it?"  
"Some of it."  
"Honey, I haven't been able to indulge you for your birthday much. Let me do it now."  
"I bought some new clothes."  
"And she found these wicked boots that looked really great on her, but she wouldn't get them." Heather smacked at Ash with a breadstick.  
"Heather! Those boots were 75 dollars. I didn't even wanna try them on. You made me."  
"And I'm gonna make you go back and buy them." The two stuck their tongues out at each other across the table. Mark cleared his throat and pointedly looked behind Ash. She turned her head only to whip it back around and glare at her dad. "Did you invite him?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Nope." Shannon and Jeff were making their way over to the table. "Happy birthday, Ash."  
"Bite me moron."  
"Nice to see you too." Ash ignored him to smile at Jeff. "Hi." He gave her a quick hug. "Hey there. Long time no see." He walked around the table and sat next to Heather with his arm on the back of her chair.  
Ash glared at the other girl. "This is your doing."  
"I only invited Jeff. Shannon must've tagged along."

Shannon sat in the chair beside Ash, but scooted it closer to Mark. Instead of making a scene in the nice restaurant, she decided to act like he wasn't there. Over dinner they talked about Jeff's recent contract with the WWE. He was very animated when describing life on the road with his obnoxious brother. Ash noticed Shannon's downfallen expression and smiled evilly. "So, Shanny, what have you been doing while Jeff's off making a superstar of himself?"  
"I've been working mostly."  
"Oh really? And where are you working?" Shannon mumbled under his breath.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. Could you speak up please?"  
"Ace Hardware."  
"Oh how cute. You must feel terribly left out."  
"Well, I didn't until just now." Jeff finally spoke in his best friend's defense. "We're working on getting him up to contract standards."  
"We who?"  
"Me and your dad." Ash cut her dad a sideways look. "How interesting."  
Mark gave her a baleful look in return. "He's doing very well, actually. He's an extremely fast learner." He reached down by his chair and came back with two small boxes. "I know it's your birthday, Ash, but I got a present for both of you. I wanted to give it to you earlier, but I know your mother would've confiscated it."  
"Dad, you shouldn't have gotten me anything else. The car was more than enough."  
"The car was a graduation present. Besides, I've had these for a while now." He handed each of them a box.

The girls tore into them. Ash pulled the stuffing off the top and pulled out the silver chain underneath. At the end was a dog tag made of silver. On in was engraved "'Taker's Girls".  
"You used to say that you were 'Taker's Girls all the time. So I thought you might like to have something saying that you really were." They slipped them over their heads and got up. Both girls gave him a hug at the same time. "Thanks Dad." He almost blushed…almost. "Yeah. Sit down. You're embarrassing me."  
"I'll be right back." Shannon left the table. When he came back he too held a box. "I got you something. I hope you like it."  
"Shannon. You really shouldn't have."  
"Just open it."Ash reluctantly unwrapped the present. She lifted the lid and looked inside. Inside was a stuffed green bear with a four-leaf clover on its stomach. Her head shot back up to Shannon, but he wasn't looking at her. "Good Luck Bear?"  
"You thought you lost yours when we were kids. But I actually bearnapped him and let my dog tear him up after you shaved him. It's an original. Not one of the reissues."

Ash slammed the lid back in place and put the box on the floor next to her chair. Mark glared at her. "Aren't you going to say thank you?" "For what? I should be beating the hell out of him for destroying my first one."  
"Ashley. You shaved his husky's back. I think he deserved a little revenge."  
"Against a harmless Care Bear? Please, that damn dog tried to chew my arm off."  
"Maybe I should've gotten you Grumpy Bear." Shannon said in a grumpy voice of his own.  
Ash let the comment slide for the moment, but when her dad wasn't paying attention, she palmed a fork from the table to her lap. She waited until Jeff was telling another wrestling story and everyone was focused away from her. Even Shannon. She smiled to herself and jabbed his upper thigh with the utensil. He jumped slightly and tried to keep a fake smile pasted to his face. He'd always been good at hiding her abuse from her father. She knew he'd had a crush on her for years and every time she came to Houston she hoped he'd outgrown it. But because of the crush he never told her Dad how mean she was to him. She played that privilege to her best advantage.

**Sorry this chapter is a little on the short side! Please Please Please Review im begging you lovely people.**


	4. Chapter 4

No one seemed to notice that Shannon was in any discomfort. He casually slipped his hand under the tablecloth and tried to dislodge the fork from his leg, but she stabbed at his hand. Mark looked over at his quick indrawn breath. "Hand check, Ash."  
"What?" "You know the drill. Hands where I can see them. And where is your fork?" They could all hear metal clink against the floor. "I dropped it."  
"Shannon, are you bleeding?"  
"No, sir."  
"Ashley, keep your hands on the table."  
"Yes, sir." For his troubles Ash ground her sneakered heel into Shannon's sandaled foot. He tried to hide his flinch, but Mark was looking for it. "Stop it, right now."  
"Dad, I'm not doing anything."  
"Bull shit." He stopped a passing waitress. "Could you get us a couple of to go boxes, please? My child can't seem to behave today." Ash just blinked up at the woman innocently. "Thanks, Dad, I was getting full anyway." Jeff smirked and leaned toward Heather. "She's full of something alright."  
After all the food was boxed up he ushered everyone out into the parking lot. "What're your plans now girls?"  
Ash yawned loudly and then grimaced and clapped her hand to her stitched up lip. "I want a nap and a pain killer. But maybe not in that order."  
"Alright, so I guess I'll see you girls at the house?"

Ash walked to her car and spun in a circle when she realized Heather wasn't behind her. She spotted her sister by Jeff's car. "Hey, Chica, wanna get your tongue out of his throat? I wanna go home." Heather kissed him one more time and shuffled into the car. Ash heard her mumbled, "Bitch" but paid it no attention. "Jeff's gonna follow us to the house."  
"Why?"  
"Our present was too big to drag to a restaurant." Ash gaped at her. "My God. How many presents do I get?"  
"You'll get used to it eventually. I promise."  
"Yeah. I guess being one of 'Taker's Girls pays off. Did you know he had these?" Heather shook her head and fingered her necklace. "Not a clue. But I really like them."  
"Me too. Especially right now. He couldn't have chosen a better time to give them to us."  
At the house Jeff and Heather went into one of the spare rooms. They came out, each holding one end of a very large picture frame. Heather grinned. "This was my idea. But I'm so not artistic, so Jeff did most of the putting together."

They turned around and showed a large collage type picture. In the middle was a magazine picture of The Undertaker. Below were two home shots of Ash and Heather dressed up as him for Halloween. More pictures were pasted all around them. All were of the three of them. A lot were from their childhood. The frame was black and very gothic looking. On the top Jeff had painted the old Undertaker symbol in blue. The bottom had the Big Red Devil face in red. Ash was once again struck speechless. Even Mark stared in appreciation. "Dad, can we find a place for this in the living room?"  
"Anywhere you want." They moved some stuff around and hung it up over the couch. "Perfect." Ash announced. "All of those pictures were taken here anyway, so this is where it will stay." She hugged Heather and Jeff. "Thanks you guys."  
"Uh-oh, she's getting weepy."  
"Screw you, Rainbow Bright."

**Yet again another short chapter, i promise the next one will be longer!**


	5. Chapter 5

TWO WEEKS LATER

Ash yawned from her lounged position on the couch. Heather walked by and smacked her leg. "Dad wants us to help him cook."  
"Did you tell him to kindly fuck off. I don't cook for Barbie dolls. Hell, I don't cook."  
"Me neither." Heather plopped down next to Ash. "He's gonna get mad."  
"He'll get over it." "GIRLS!"  
"Coming Daddy." They said in unison. "Just help me set the table. That's all you have to do." The doorbell rang and he ran a nervous hand down his slacks. "That should be Sara. Now remember girls…"  
"We'll try to like her."

He gave them both a warning glare and stalked to the door. They didn't immediately see her because Mark blocked the door. When he shifted to the side, both girls almost choked. Ash regained her voice before Heather did. "Geez, Dad, robbing the cradle much. What is she, like twelve?"  
"Ashley Renee." Sara smiled politely. "It's fine, Mark. Actually I'm 22." Heather found the ability to speak. "Oh God, Dad. She's Jeff's age."  
"Since when does age have to do with anything?" Sara was the image of sweetness.  
"Since you're dating our DAD!"  
"Heather, would you go check on dinner, please? Ash you help her. And no knives. Or forks. Or, oh hell, just stay out of the kitchen."  
"Please, like I'd stab someone on the first meeting. You taught me better than that. But I can't promise anything after tonight." As Heather was pulling a covered dish from the stove the phone rang. Ash went to answer it. "Calloway residence."  
"Ashley?" Heather noticed her sister tensing up. "What do you want?" She said into the phone.  
"I think you should come home."  
"Why would I want to do that?"  
"Because I'm your mother and I love you." "Love is beating the hell out of your daughter? No thanks. I think I'm fine right where I am."  
"Don't make me come get you."  
"I'd love to see what would happen if you showed up here. Dad was pretty pissed after your last show of love."  
"Stop talking like that. See, you've only been gone two weeks and you already have a trash mouth. Mark Calloway is not fit to raise a child." "No, Mother. You are not fit to be around humans. But they let you keep me." Ash didn't wait for the woman to respond. She just hung up the phone. Mark and Sara came into the kitchen as she replaced the receiver.  
"Who was on the phone?"  
"No one important, Dad. Don't worry about it." He gave his youngest child a hard stare, but didn't comment. They sat down and started eating. "Hey guys," Ash said around bites of food. "I have a joke for you." Mark groaned, but Sara smiled at her.  
"Okay…so this man comes home from work one day to find his girlfriend packing. He asks her what's going on and through tears she says 'I'm leaving you'. He, of course, asks why. 'I just found out you're a pedophile'. The man looks at her and says. 'Well that's an awful big word for a seven year old.'" Ash and Heather dissolved into giggles. Sara surprised both of them by laughing as well. "That's a good one. I'm gonna have to remember it." Then she went back to eating. Ash glowered at her and ignored her father's stern look. She flashed him a bright smile and rolled her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Ash came into the house and flopped onto the couch. Heather looked up from the TV. "Bad day at work?"  
"I got fired." "Again? Ash, you've got to stop getting fired. That's like the third one this month."  
"I know. But people keep pissing me off." "You're just like Dad." "Who's just like your father?" Sara breezed in holding an old rag. "I am. Big scary badass. Leave me alone."  
Sara smiled and dusted the rag over things here and there in the living room. "I'm sure Mark could find you something to do with the WWE." "No. I'm not asking Dad for any handouts. I've been mooching off of him for the last two years. I'm not asking for any favors."  
"It's not mooching to ask him to HELP you get a job. Everyone needs a break now and then. He could help you get one."  
"Thanks for the pep talk, Sara, but no thanks. Just forget about it. And don't go mentioning this idea of yours to Dad."  
Heather looked at her watch. "Speaking of Dad," she said to break the tension between new step-mom and daughter. "He should be home soon."

As if on cue they heard the roar of his truck engine pulling into the garage. The girls looked at each other for a moment, then raced toward the door. He was just closing it when they pounced him. He laughed and braced himself for the onslaught. He easily caught both of his daughters and hugged them. "Good to see you too." They let him get inside and get settled. "Any thing cool happen? Like Shannon getting thrown around viciously?"  
Mark gave Ash a patient smile. "No, dear. Nothing that cool. But I do have something to talk to you about later."  
"Why later?" "Because I just got home. I'm tired. And I haven't even kissed my wife yet." Heather and Ash quickly vacated the room. They heard Sara giggle and made faces on their way out. Later that night while Ash was winding down to go to bed, Mark came into her room. "I hear you got fired again."  
"Yeah. But it really wasn't my fault this time."  
"Mmm-hmm." "Dad! It really wasn't."  
"It doesn't matter. Remember I said I wanted to talk to you about something?"  
"Yeah."  
"It has to with a job."  
"Sara! I told her not to ask you about that stupid idea of hers."  
"She did tell me her idea, but only after I told her what I'm about to tell you. Vince came to me with a story line angle. I'm still not sure about it, but I thought I should ask you before I turn him down." "I'm listening."

"They want to do an angle where you get a job as a color commentator. In reality Jerry needs a few weeks off to promote a book. But they want to have it where no one knows you're my kid. Someone, they haven't decided who, will find out and try to use that against me. They'll want you to learn how to take a few bumps. I told them I didn't think it was a good idea, but like I said, I wanted to talk to you first."  
"I wanna do it."  
"Ash, it's gonna be a lot of work. Hard hours. Lot's of travel. I don't know if they'll do anything with you after the storyline runs its course." "I don't care. I wanna do it."  
"You'll have to do a sample commentary for Vince."  
"No problem. When?"  
"I'll call him tomorrow."


	7. Chapter 7

**IMPORTANT: This chapter includes a sex scene if you have a problem with that then leave now!**

Ash came out to generic music they'd picked out for her on her second Raw taping. She took her seat next to J.R. and slipped her headphones on. "Nervous?" He asked. "Not really. I love this shit."  
Jim gave her a lopsided smile. "You know your cue?"  
"When Nash grabs me I scream 'Daddy' for all I'm worth. Not terribly difficult."  
They bantered back and forth for nearly two hours. Finally The Undertaker and Austin were up. The final match. Ash pretended to be oblivious to everything but the action in the ring. When Nash's music hit, they pretended shock, acting like they thought he'd do damage to one of the competitors. Nash stalked over to the announce table and pulled Ash up by her hair. Right before he tore her headset off she screamed. 'Taker turned to see what was going on, and his face turned red. Nash put a mic to his mouth and said in a booming voice. "Found a treasure of yours, Deadman. How far will you go to keep her safe?"

Ash flailed a little and tried to kick at him. He shoved her to the side and she took a nasty looking fall to the ramp. 'Taker charged at the big man. They fought for a bit before Nash made an escape. Just before the cameras went off the home audience saw The Undertaker cradling a shaken Ash in his arms and carrying her backstage.  
Once back there, Ash jumped down and did a little dance. "That went well."  
"You made that fall look pretty real." "I scared ya, huh? Didn't I?"  
"A little." Jeff came up to congratulate them. He patted her on the shoulder. "You did a really great job. You sell better than Shannon does." "I'm surprised. He should be used to taking punishment."  
"Still not liking Shannon much?" "My feelings haven't changed in years. Why would they now?" Jeff looked to Mark. "You haven't told her yet?" "Told me what?" When Jeff didn't respond she turned to her dad. "Told me what, Dad?"  
"While Nash and I are fighting at the p.p.v. Shannon is supposed to kidnap you." "To what purpose?"  
"Sneak in and steal the glory. Appeal to The Undertaker's dark side. Show me that he can be sneaky too. Something like that."  
"No."  
"Ash…"  
"I refuse." "You can't. You signed a contract."

Ash opened her mouth, but snapped it shut when she realized she didn't have an argument. "Is that why he's suddenly inconspicuous?" Jeff nodded. "He was afraid of what you'd do to him when you found out."  
"Dad, the pay per view is next Sunday."  
"I'm aware." Heather made her way over to them, large camera in tow. She'd gotten a job a few months back taking candid shots for the magazine. "You guys ready to go?"  
Ash stalked off to the parking garage to pout. They headed off to the hotel. Ash followed her sister to their room without saying a word. She walked in to find her stuff not there. "Uh, where's my shit?"  
"Uh, Ash. Jeff's staying in here with me. I thought you knew that."  
"Then where am I staying? Sara's in Dad's room."  
"Only one person left to room with."  
"Absolutely not.""Unless you wanna sleep in the car, you don't have much choice."  
Ash glared daggers at her sister and stalked to Mark's room. She beat on the door. She stood there glaring at him too when he answered. She didn't realize it, but her stance was exactly like The Undertaker's when getting ready for battle. "What the hell is going on? Why am I sharing a room with Shannon?"  
"Because your sister wanted to room with Jeff."  
"I really don't like any of you right now."  
"Well if that includes Shannon then at least I won't be a grandfather any time soon." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Gross Dad. It's Shannon. You can't make me stay with him." "It's just one night." "Fine. But I will make you all regret it."  
He handed her a key card. "It's just down the hall, sweetheart."  
"Bastard." She mumbled under her breath as she stalked away. She let herself into the air-conditioned room and found Shannon layed out on the bed, hair still wet from a shower, watching TV in his boxers. "Can't you wear some clothes?"

"I have clothes on. All the important parts are covered."  
"I hate you." She went to the sink to wash her face. She felt around on the counter for a washcloth. After drying off, she reached for her bathroom bag, but didn't find it. "Hey Shannon, could you run to Heather's room and grab my bag with my toothbrush in it?" "I'm in my underwear, Ash."  
"It's just two doors down."  
"Fine." He got up and Ash followed him to the door. "It's the black see through bag." When he was just out the door she stopped him. "Hang on a sec." She grabbed his long ponytail and acted like she was studying it. He didn't even think she would do anything awful to him here. But she smiled and pulled his hair toward her and shut the door effectively trapping him in the hall. All was silent for a minute before she heard him through the door. "Ash, my hair's stuck."  
"I know."  
"Let me go."  
"Uh, let me think about it. No." She flopped down on the bed and flipped through the stations.  
He didn't want to shout too loud and risk bringing other people out of their rooms. He rested his head against the door to relieve some of the pulling on his hair. Finally he heard Mark coming out of his room. He closed his eyes to avoid meeting the man's curious stare. "Something wrong, Shannon?" "No, sir."  
"Why are you standing here in your underwear, then?"  
"Fresh air?"  
"She locked you out?"  
"Yeah."  
"Move then. I'll get her to unlock the door."  
"Small problem with that." Mark got close enough to see Shannon's predicament. A dark look crossed his face. "Ashley Renee!" She answered in a sweet voice. "Yes Daddy?"  
"Open the door."  
"Sure." She pulled it open and smiled innocently. "Oh, Shannon, how long have you been waiting. You should've said something. Did you get my bag?" He brushed past her and angrily threw the blankets aside. "Get your own damn bag."  
She shrugged and walked next door. "Is something wrong, Daddy?"  
"Don't do that again." "Sure."

After retrieving her bag, she brushed her teeth and got in bed herself. "Why are you so horrible to me?"  
"I don't know." "Yes you do. There has to be some reason. You've hated me since we were kids."  
"Shouldn't that tell you something, moron. Stop trying to be nice to me then. I don't like you. You said it yourself."  
He sat up and even in the dark she could tell his whole demeanor had changed. He lost that Shannyness that was all over him. Suddenly he was grown up. An aspiring wrestler that had worked hard to become a WWE Superstar. "Well, whatever it is, you need to put it aside while we have to work together. I didn't ask for this, but it could be a big break for me. I know that wrestling doesn't mean a whole lot to you, but it's my life. This is all I've ever wanted to do. All I'm asking is that you don't screw it up for me." "What makes you think I'll fuck it up?" "You have a tendency to take away or maim everything I want."  
Ouch. That one had hurt. Maybe because it was true. Ash didn't analyze why, she just turned over and ignored him. She heard him lay back down with a sigh.  
She didn't speak to him the next morning as they got ready to leave. They'd be going back home for a few days before taping Smackdown!. She grabbed her bags and met Sara and Mark by their car. Sara raised a surprised eyebrow. "You're not riding with Jeff and Heather?" "No." She climbed into the backseat of the SUV and didn't say much on the three hour drive back home. By the following Sunday she was actually nervous. She paced around backstage while waiting to start taping. The monitor showed that Kevin Nash was still doing his intro. She still had almost 15 minutes to wait. Shannon placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You're gonna do fine. You don't even have any lines." "I know. Just flail. I've got it."  
"Then what's wrong? Why're you so nervous?"  
"I dunno. Just leave me alone for now."

He gave her puppy eyes, but did as she asked. The camera crew finally made their way into position. "Okay," a man dressed in jeans and a WWE crew t-shirt came up to them. "Do you know your positions?" They nodded.  
"Good. Now let's do this right, 'cause we're live." He counted down on his fingers then pointed to them. Ash bent double, acting as though she was checking her shoelaces. She felt Shannon come up behind her.  
"Well, well, well. What have we here? 'Taker's little girl is all alone. Looks like a perfect opportunity to show off some Mattitude." He flashed the V1 sign and wrapped one hand around her mouth and the other around her waist. He dragged her backwards. She kicked with her legs and was secretly pleased to actually connect with his shin with one. He turned her around to toss her over his shoulder. With her mouth now unobstructed, she shouted for all she was worth. The scream turned into a surprised shriek when she felt his hand come down on her ass. She closed her mouth and silently fumed. Shannon was getting way too into this. The camera followed them out to the parking garage where he stuffed her into his car and peeled out. Once out of camera shot, she turned in the seat to glare at him. "What the hell, Shannon?"  
"What?"  
"You smacked me." "Consider it a love tap." He passed the exit to go to the hotel and kept driving.  
"You missed our turn." "No I didn't."  
"Yes you did." "We're not going to the hotel tonight." "What?"  
"We're going somewhere else. I'm kidnapping you."  
"Are you deranged? Turn around right now, Shannon."  
"No." "What about my stuff? You can't just steal me! Dad's gonna be pissed." "No he's not."  
"You mean he knew about this?"  
"Uh-huh."

Ash slammed herself back in the seat to silently fume. "I knew you were mentally unstable. Dad just wouldn't listen to me. You've got problems." "No I don't. And trust me, you won't be so pissed when we get to where we're going."  
"Where ARE we going?"  
"You'll see."  
"What about tomorrow's Raw?"  
"We're not due back until next Monday. 'Taker's going to torture Matt for information on Raw and Smackdown."  
"I want to call Dad."  
"No."  
All her life, she'd hated being told not to do something. It just made her want to do it more. She spied her bags in the backseat and dove for them. Shannon was expecting it, and caught her around the middle. He maneuvered the car onto the shoulder of the road and pulled her into his lap. She sat still in shock and stared at him. "Let me go." "Why? You're not in danger." His voice was husky with something Ash didn't want to name. She tried to move, but he held her tighter. "Shannon, let me off of your lap."  
"Don't try to use your cell phone."  
"Fine." "Promise me."  
"Okay. I promise, just let me up." When he released her she darted back to her seat. She stayed as far away from him as she could. He deftly slipped back into traffic as if nothing had happened. They drove in silence for almost two hours. He checked the clock when his stomach rumbled. Almost midnight.  
"Are you hungry?"  
"Yes."

Shannon turned off at an exit that had all night restaurants. "Denny's okay?"  
"Fine. Did you bring my purse?" "No. I didn't want you getting any ideas about hopping a bus back home." "You're a bastard." "But a bastard that's going to buy you dinner."  
"At Denny's? Wow, Shannon, you really know how to wine and dine a girl."  
"Give me time, Little Evil. I haven't gotten to that part yet."  
Ash rolled her eyes at the old nickname. She vaguely wondered if she should make a scene in the restaurant, but decided against it. She was starved. They got a booth near a window and ordered. She didn't say much to him while they ate. She jumped when his cell phone rang. "Hello?" There was a pause. "Yes sir." Another pause. "We've still got a bit to go. We should be there by tomorrow. I'm planning on stopping tonight."  
"Is that my dad?" When Shannon ignored her, she figured it was. She yanked the phone away from him. "Dad how could you let him do this?" "I didn't let him do anything, dear. He made up his mind, and only told me so I wouldn't worry."  
"You could've beat the shit out of him."  
"Are you hurt?" "No."  
"Is he feeding you?"  
"Yes."  
"Then you're fine."  
"But, Dad…"  
"Goodbye, Ashley. Have fun." He hung up.  
Ash shoved the phone back at Shannon. "I hate you."

Ash woke up when she felt the car slowing down. She looked over at Shannon. He looked tired. His hair was a mess, like he'd been running his hands through it. He'd lost the ponytail holder and let his hair fall around his face. Ash liked the way the black chunks stood out against his features. They made the green in his eyes stand out. She shook her head. She must be tired if she was admiring Shannon's good looks. He pulled up to a Holiday Inn and got out. Ash noticed he left the keys in the ignition. She contemplated leaving him, but she had no clue where they were. Or how to get home from here. He came back a few minutes later and drove around to the side of the building. She pretended to still be asleep, wanting to see what his intentions were. She heard him get out of the car and grab some stuff from the backseat. Watch him leave me in here all night, she thought. But he came back and opened the door on her side. He slipped one arm behind her shoulders and the other under her knees. He carried her into the room and carefully layed her on a bed. She heard him leave again so she cracked her eyelids. The room looked like any other hotel room she'd been in. But at least there were two beds. She heard him fumbling with the lock and slammed her eyes shut again. Shannon came back with the rest of the bags. Ash was still where he'd left her. Making a quick decision he dropped the stuff and headed for her bed. He sat at the end and pulled her feet into his lap. He pushed her pant leg up to unzip the chunky calf length boots. After setting them on the floor, he scooted her to the middle of the bed and got up. He stripped down to his boxers and got into the other bed. He turned off the light and quickly fell asleep.

Ash woke first the next morning. She rolled over to look at the clock. After ten. They would have to be getting up soon. Check out was probably at twelve. "Good morning." She looked over at Shannon. He was disheveled, his face puffy from sleep, and completely adorable. Something in her stomach fluttered a little, but she ignored it. "Morning."  
"Sleep well?" She stretched and groaned. "I'm stiff. Probably from sleeping in jeans."  
"I didn't want you to accuse me of molesting you in your sleep, so I just took your shoes off."  
"How very noble of you." He got up slowly and sat at the edge of the bed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood up after a minute. "When I molest you, I want you to remember every bit of it." He headed to the shower, laughing at her shocked expression. When she heard the water cut on, she started getting dressed. She brushed out her waist length hair and tried to braid it. Finally getting frustrated, she just let it hang free. Beside her the bathroom door opened and Shannon emerged wearing only a towel. Her mouth went dry as she stared at him. Drops of water clung to his eyelashes and lips. It ran in little rivulets down his smooth chest. His hair was messy from having the towel ran over it. He looked like sex. He chuckled a little at her and went to pick up a bag. She turned back to the sink and grabbed her toothbrush. When she looked in the mirror she could see a blush staining her cheeks. She looked past herself to Shannon and felt the blush deepen. He had dropped the towel and was pulling on a pair of boxers. Her eyes rounded to the size of saucers and she quickly looked away. She was shaking slightly when she finished. She went back to the bed and put her shoes on.

Shannon noticed her reaction to him and smiled a little. He wanted to keep her off balance. Wanted to stay in control. Leaving his jeans partially undone, he sat down and brushed his hair. He studied her as he did. He liked her hair down. It made her look softer, less angry. She wore a pair of ripped up jeans and a baggy "pain sin-dicate" shirt. She was still blushing and he guessed that she'd watched him getting dressed. His lack of shirt also seemed to be bothering her because she refused to look directly at him. "You didn't braid your hair." She jumped. "Uh, no. It's too long for me to braid myself. I have to pull it around to the side, and I don't like the way it looks when I have to do that. Heather usually does it for me." "I know how to braid."  
"That's okay." She didn't think she liked the idea of Shannon touching her right now. Her body had turned traitor and was acting funny around him. Her mind was saying "Yuck. It's Shannon." And her body was saying "Hello Shannon!"  
"I'm surprised you let it get so long. You've never been the girlie type."  
"I'm not. But I just like long hair. I cut it all off one time and it looked horrible. I just don't have the facial structure for short hair. It brings too much attention to my eyes." "What's wrong with that?"  
"How many people do you know with two different colored eyes, Shannon?" He looked at her. One blue eye, one green. He'd always liked them. "Just you." The way he said it made her shiver. "Exactly."  
"There's nothing wrong with being unique." "I didn't say there was. I just don't want extra attention drawn to them. I'd rather stand out because I want to."

He didn't understand, so he dropped it. "We should get going." "Where are we anyway?"  
"Louisiana."  
"What's in Louisiana?"  
"New Orleans." "Why are we going there?"  
"Have you ever been?" "No."  
"Exactly. We're going to spend a week in sin city. We should be there in about two hours." Ash suppressed and excited giggle. She refused to giggle in front of Shannon, so she just shrugged. "I guess it's better than being at home." Had he not been watching her closely he'd have missed the gleam in her multicolored eyes. He threw on a shirt and shoes and they were off. "Do you want breakfast?" She shook her head. "I usually just have coffee. I'm not a morning person."  
"Mind if I run through a drive-thru?"  
"I guess not." After stopping at McDonald's they headed toward New Orleans. Ash tried not to act excited, but she practically had her nose pressed to the window as they entered the city. They drove through the main part, and Shannon got back on the highway. "We're not staying?"Shannon smiled at the disappointment in her voice. "I have reservations somewhere outside the city." "Oh." "Don't worry. It's only about ten minutes from everything."  
He pulled up to a small building and stopped the car. "Stay here. I'll be right back."  
Ash looked around in awe. Everything was so green. At home most things were brown. The climate was hotter even though the temperature was lower than it would've been in Texas. It was almost sultry. Shannon came back and drove around behind the office. Several cabins were situated among the trees. He pulled up to one and they got out.

Ash gasped as they entered the building. It was like a little house. A small living room opened up into a kitchen. She followed the hall to a spacious bedroom with only one bed. "Shannon, why is there only one bed?" "That's all they have."  
"And you're going to be sleeping where?" He gave an enigmatic shrug, and she let it go. If she had to she'd argue with him later tonight. Right now she was drunk with the new surroundings. "What're we going to do first?"  
"I figured we could rest up today, and maybe hit the zoo tomorrow." "It's been years since I've been to a zoo."  
"The Audubon is supposed to be really great. It takes all day just to go though it."  
"So we're not doing anything tonight?" "What would you like to do?"  
"I don't know. You've been here before. What's fun?" "We could go to Bourbon Street. Or they have a great mall. But if you want to go shopping, the French Quarter is defiantly worth experiencing." "Either would work."  
"Do you have anything with you besides torn up clothes?" "I didn't pack with New Orleans in mind."  
"So we shop." "You didn't bring my purse, Shannon. I don't have money."  
"I know." "I'm not letting you buy me things."  
"I'm paying for the room."  
"But I didn't have any control over that." "And you don't have any control over this. Besides, I missed your 21st birthday. Consider it a late present." Ash stomped her foot in frustration. She hated that she was completely at Shannon's mercy. But in a way it was nice. She trusted him. And she knew she could beat him up if it came down to it. They headed back into the city and parked at the mall. "Let's get you some clubbing clothes. And some more comfortable shoes for when we go to the zoo."  
As they were passing the food court, Ash spotted something that caught her attention. "What's a beignet?"  
"We'll get some later, when we go to the French Quarter."  
"Okay." She let Shannon help her pick out some clothes. They spent a few hours browsing then went back to the cabin. He let her have the bedroom while he changed in the living room. She pulled her new purchases out of the bags and put them on. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror with a look of disbelief. The tight black leather pants framed her small hips and ass. They fit all the way down to her knee, where they flared a bit. Her top was a spandex off the shoulder tank that stopped just above her pierced belly button. She wore her boots to make her legs look longer and give her some extra height. Shannon had insisted on buying her a choker. It was a piece of black leather with an ankh hanging from it. She put on what little make up she owned, applying the eyeliner heavily. It drew attention to her eyes, but she could deal with it for tonight. She brushed her hair until it gleamed and left it loose. After one last check, she left the bedroom. Shannon was waiting on the couch. He wore baggy silver pants with cargo pockets and a white button down dress shirt. He'd left the bottom half unbuttoned. He'd also left his hair down, letting the black frame his face. A silver barbell gleamed from his left eyebrow. He seemed just as caught up in her new appearance as she was in his. They both said, "Wow" at the same time. Ash gave a nervous laugh. "You clean up well, Shannon." "As do you. Turn around."

She did a spin for him, smiling to herself at his whistle. He opened the door for her and they headed for Bourbon Street. They called a cab to drop them off. He put an arm around her shoulders as they got out. "Stay close to me." "Why 'cause you look so tough and macho that no one would mess with us?" "Something like that."  
Ash laughed. "Shannon, you're too pretty to be macho." "Okay, then stay close to me 'cause I want you to."  
She started to pull away. "See. I knew you would do that. Look. Let's just have fun. You can go back to hating me when we get home. And I promise I won't tell anyone if you enjoy yourself or my company. It's easy to loose yourself and be someone else here. Just go with it." "We'll see." But she did step closer to him and allowed him to replace his arm around her. New Orleans at night in late October wasn't unbearably hot. They went into most of the hokey touristy shops before getting to a club. Ash started to just walk in, but Shannon tugged her back. "That's the Oz."  
"So?" "That's a gay club." Ash's face reddened. "Oh."  
"We can check it out if you want. But," he looked down at himself. "I'll be popular in there."  
"Maybe later," Ash mumbled. "I know a few clubs that you'd probably like. Let's get a drink."  
He led her toward one of the outside vendors selling hurricane's and alligator on a stick. He bought both. "I'm not eating that, Shannon." "Just try it." She took a small nibble and was surprised to find it was good. He ended up buying another one. "Only one drink?" "Trust me, you don't want to guzzle one down by yourself. It's got like seven different liquors in it. And you can't taste any of them." Ash took a cautious sip and let the fruity mixture roll around on her tongue. "It's really good." They continued up the street passing the huge cup between them. She was already starting to feel a good buzz when they came to another club. She didn't look at the name as Shannon pulled her inside. The dance floor was packed with people, but he found them enough space to move. He pulled her close and let the music carry him into a rhythm. She let him lead her, not sure what to do. He leaned down and spoke directly in her ear. "Move you hips more." He put his hands on her waist and guided her. He slipped his leg in between hers so that her movements looked extremely lewd. She normally would've pulled away, but remembering what he'd said earlier, decided to just go with it. She even decided to take it one step further. She slipped her hands in the open part of his shirt and ripped it open. His eyes gleamed at her as he gave her a feral grin. She moved up to his neck and looped her arms around him. She leaned back and pushed her chest out, while still grinding herself down onto his leg. She could feel his groin pressing into her stomach. Her little show was not leaving him unaffected. A shiver ran up her back. If she did anything too bad, she could always blame it on the alcohol. He braced her with one hand between her shoulders and leaned down to run his tongue along the column of her throat. She moaned but it was drowned out by the music. When the song ended, she blinked as if coming out of a trance. He kept her close as he led them to the bar. "What do you want to drink?"She stood on her tiptoes to reach his ear. "Rum and coke."

He ordered her drink and a beer and they headed for a set of stairs that opened into a balcony. It was quieter up there with few people. He led her to a corner overlooking a side street. "Having fun?" She sipped her drink. "Yeah."  
"Good. I didn't know you could dance." "That wasn't really dancing, Shannon, it was more like…" "Like what?"  
"Nothing."  
"No. More like what, Ash?" "Foreplay." She didn't look at him as she answered. She used the little plastic straw to keep her drink from settling. "Which is all dancing really is."  
"If you say so." He could tell she was uncomfortable with the line of conversation. Good. She was still unbalanced. He hadn't expected her to be so comfortable with him so quickly. He plucked her drink from her hand and set it and his bottle on the railing. "I do say so." He leaned back against the wall and pulled her between his spread legs. His thighs trapped her hips.  
"Shannon…" "Yeah?"What're you doing?" "I'm going to kiss you." He leaned close but felt her put a hand against his chest.  
"I hate beer." "Excuse me?"  
"You smell like beer." "Oh." He let her go to grab her rum and coke. By the time he'd taken a swallow, she's slipped away from him. "Did you think it'd be that easy to steal a kiss from me? It's going to take a lot more work than that."  
"Is that a challenge?" She shrugged and took her drink back. "Could be. But I wanna dance more." She drained the glass and walked back downstairs. Shannon noticed a little more wiggle to her hips than usual. He, too, drained his beer and followed her. Ash waited at the bottom and watched him. His ripped shirt flapped open as he walked, showing off his muscled chest. She gave another little shiver. He certainly had grown up well. Maybe he wasn't the stupid kid she remembered. When he reached her he didn't say a word; just looped an arm around her waist and pulled her into the crush of people. The song was a slow one, so he moved so close to her that every part of them was touching. He put one hand on the back of her neck and the other right above the top of her pants. He buried his face in the other side of her neck and lightly nipped the sensitive skin behind her ear. She could feel him smile at her shiver. He laved the spot with his tongue and tickled her back with his fingers. He nibbled down her neck to her shoulder to where her shirt was. He slipped his tongue under the cloth and heard her gasp. She yanked his head up by the hair and pulled his face down to hers. His body hardened at the arousal in her eyes. She paused with her lips only a breath from his. She teasingly darted her tongue out to lick her lips and smiled, then let her head fall back. With a growl he attacked her again with lips and tongue. She arched into him, grinding with the tempo. She let her hands roam over his exposed chest and stomach. It was his turn to shiver when she scratched down his chest to his abdomen. He was confused when she suddenly pushed him away.

With a saucy wink, she sauntered out of the club. He found her waiting just outside the door. "Tease."  
"So glad you noticed." "Am I going to get anywhere tonight?" "Depends on what your goal is." He didn't answer right away. He liked this side of Ash. The devil may care side. Where she wasn't worried about being with him. Or letting herself have fun. She'd been too wrapped up in trying to find a career she liked lately. Hopefully she didn't close back up when they got home. But even if she did, he had this memory. "What if my goal is just a kiss?"  
"Somehow I doubt that." He gave her a wicked grin. "Okay. How 'bout this. My ultimate goal for this week is to see you naked and panting beneath me. Or above me. I'm not picky. I want to hear you screaming when I make you cum."  
Her face flushed with desire. "Oh. At least you're honest. And will this be before we go to the zoo? Or after?"  
"It doesn't matter." "Well, then. I guess we have plenty of time to get to your agenda. Plus I get to sight see. Works out great for both of us." "Does that mean I'll get what I want?" She just smiled at him.  
"That's not an answer." Same smile.  
"You are a tease." "So far. But we'll see if that changes within the week."  
Once they got back to the cabin, Ash flopped down on the couch with a giggle. "That was great." "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. It's getting late. If we're going to the zoo tomorrow, we should get to bed." "It's already almost five. Maybe we should put the zoo off for a day when we'll get more sleep." "Okay. We can go to the Quarter tomorrow."

Ash drug herself up and headed down the hall. "So we never discussed the little matter of where you're sleeping tonight."  
"It's a big bed, Ash." "But I have my virtue to think of." "Are you serious? You're going to make me sleep on the couch?" "It's comfortable." She opened the door and slipped in. "Goodnight, Shannon." He braced his hand on the closing door. "I could insist." "But will you?"  
"Not about where I sleep. But I must insist on getting a goodnight kiss." "What if I don't kiss on the first date?"  
"Well, I do. So I guess you're shit out of luck. Your virtue be damned." He leaned in and captured her lips. He was gentle at first, slipping his tongue into her mouth. But then he turned aggressive. He made her feel possessed and cherished all with out touching her anywhere but where they were connected. Too soon he walked back down the hall. She stood there; half tempted to call him back, but eventually closed the door. When she woke up the next afternoon she stretched languidly in the huge bed. It really was too big for just one person. She blushed as a mental image of her and Shannon filled her mind. She got up and took a shower. She dressed in a new pair of jeans that actually fit and a white tank top. She put on her new sneakers and left the room. Shannon was still sleeping. He'd taken everything but his boxers off last night. The pants and shirt were crumpled on the floor beside the couch. A sheet was tangled around his hips; showing more than it covered. She reached down and lightly tugged on a lock of his hair. "Wake up, sleepy head."  
His eyes opened lazily and he smiled. "I don't want to." "Too bad. We're going to the French Quarter today, remember."  
"I remember. But it's not going anywhere." He captured her hand and pulled her down so that she was sprawled across him. She tried to push herself off, but he held her. She could feel his body was very much awake. "Are you always this happy in the morning or is it me?" "Both." "You're shameless."  
"Pretty much." "And depraved."  
"Always."  
"And hard to insult."  
"You got one part right."

She hated that he could make her blush so easily. "Stop that." He laughed and released her. She scrambled up and retreated to a chair by the window. "You done in the bathroom?"  
"Yeah." He grabbed some clean clothes and went to take a shower.  
By the time they got back to the cabin, Ash was breathless with the new sites. And Shannon. He'd kept her close all day; finding reasons to touch her. She'd had a blush almost all day from the not so cleverly disguised innuendoes he'd been flinging around. To top it all off they'd been caught in a rain shower that had soaked Ash's white shirt in no time. She'd finally convinced him to buy her a dry shirt. But not a white one. On the way back to the hotel he bought a bottle of Bacardi and said they were going to play a game tonight. Ash grabbed some dry clothes out of her suitcase and changed quickly. She emerged from the bedroom wearing loose pajama pants and a large t-shirt. Shannon too was wearing loose cotton pants, but with no shirt. His blue boxers peeked from the waistband. "So what's this game you want to play?"  
"It's called 'have you ever?'"  
"How do you play?"  
"Pour two shots. One of us asks a question starting with 'have you ever'. If the answer is yes then you drink."  
"Okay." She sat next to him on the couch. "I'm game."  
"Good. I'll start." After pouring the shots, he sat back. "Have you ever…been attracted to Jeff?"  
"No."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. Is that so hard to believe?"  
"I guess not. It's just that most of the girls I know have."  
"Well, I haven't. My turn. Have you ever…brought another girl up here?"  
"No. This is only my third trip to New Orleans." He liked her question. She wanted to be the only one he did this with. "Let's make this a bit more interesting. Have you ever…had sex?"  
Her eyes went very wide. She nervously licked her lips.  
"You haven't. Have you? I thought that was going to be a sure fire one to make you drink."  
"Well it wasn't." She snapped. "Don't get mad. There's nothing wrong with being a virgin. I just didn't think you were."  
"Yeah, well, when would I have had the time to have sex? While I was living with my crazy momma? Or my overprotective father?"  
"You're not with either one of them now."  
"No. But we're playing a game. Have you ever…had a one night stand?"  
He looked at his shot guiltily and downed it.  
"SHANNON!"  
"It happens sometimes. I'm careful when it does."  
"When's the last time."  
"A few months ago. Have you ever…wanted to sleep with me?"  
"In what way?"  
"You know what way. Have sex."

Ash took a deep breath, contemplating lying. But she tipped her head back and drank the fiery liquid. Shannon refilled the glass. "Now this is getting fun."  
"I don't wanna play anymore."  
"Too bad. It's your turn."  
"Have you ever…" Deciding to turn the tables on him, she stood up and pulled her shirt over her head. His gaze went immediately to her bra encased chest. "Wanted to see me naked?" Of course, he drank. "Have you ever…wanted me to see you naked?" Not only did she drink, but she grabbed the bottle and settled herself into his lap. "Have you ever…wanted to fuck me?" When he grabbed for the bottle, she moved it out of his reach. She poured some into the valley between her breasts. "How 'bout a body shot?" He dipped his head to her chest and licked at the liquid. She pulled him closer to her. "All of it." He leaned her back and braced her with his arms. He lapped up as much of it as he could. She groaned when he abandoned her cleavage and went for a cloth covered nipple. She still had the bottle in one hand, so she used the other to tangle his hair in her fingers and keep him where he was. He undid the clasp of her bra and using his teeth, pulled the material away. She arched into him when his hot mouth touched bare flesh. Her ears were ringing with the pleasure of it. He pulled away and she realized she really was hearing a ringing…phone. He cursed savagely and grabbed at the cell phone on the coffee table. "WHAT?" After a moment he thrust the phone at her. "Um, hello?"  
"Ash, you sound funny."  
"Oh hey Heather. I'm fine. Just tired."  
"Long day?"  
"Yeah. We've been walking pretty much everywhere since we got here."  
"You don't sound like you're having a bad time."  
"New Orleans is great. We need to come down here with Dad sometime." Ash tried to keep her voice steady as Shannon traced his thumb back and forth over her nipple. He had leaned back into the couch and pulled her up with him. Her ass was right over his groin so she wiggled her hips in retaliation. He groaned quietly. "What was that?" Heather asked.  
"What was what?"  
"Sounded like Shannon. Ash, are you hurting him?"  
"I'm not sure. Maybe."  
"Ohhhh. I get it. I really should let you go now. That's why Shannon was so disgruntled when he answered."  
"It's not what you think."  
"Sure, Ash."  
"It's really not. I have no intention of sleeping with him."

Shannon grabbed the phone. "But I have every intention of trying to change her mind. So I'll be keeping the phone on silent. We'll call if anything bad happens. Otherwise don't bother trying to get a hold of us." He hung up on Heather. "Great, Shannon. Just great. Now everyone will think we're sleeping together."  
"Isn't that where this was heading?"  
"Not necessarily."  
"Keep telling yourself that. But I can feel how hot you are all the way through both of these pants." Ash slapped his chest and got up. "You're so vulgar." She grabbed her shirt and slipped it over her head.  
"If you want to see vulgar I'll show you some of the thing's I'd do to you."  
"No thank you. I'm going to bed."  
"Me too. And I'm not sleeping on the couch again."  
"You said you wouldn't insist."  
"Last night. But tonight I am." She glared at him and stalked to the bedroom. "Fine. Have it your way." Once in there she got in at the edge of the bed with her back to the other side. Shannon took his pants off and got in. He scooted all the way over next to her, but not touching. "Is asking for a goodnight kiss too much?"  
"Definitely."  
"So I guess I'll just have to take one." She didn't have time to react before he flipped her over on top of him. "You seem to like being lower than me." He rolled over so that she was trapped underneath him. "You were saying?" Her legs had parted during the shifting so that his hips were nestled against hers. "I'm not kissing you."  
"Kissing isn't a prerequisite for what I had in mind."  
"Into unwilling females, are we Shannon?"  
"Unwilling huh? What about all that moaning and heavy breathing when I sucked your nipples. And let's not forget you grinding your ass into my lap." She blushed again despite the thrill that went through her. "Why do you have to say that shit."  
"Does it embarrass you?"  
"Yes."  
"Why?"  
"I don't know. It just does."  
"I guess we shall have to remedy that with practice."  
"Excuse me?"

In answer he pressed his hips forward and moved to the side a little. She gasped and jerked up involuntarily. "Do you like that?" She stared up at him with stubbornness and refused to answer.  
"I love a challenge." He leaned up enough to once again pull her shirt off. She didn't protest; just kept staring back at him mutely. He'd been around her long enough to know that she'd accepted his challenge. He started with the underside of her breast and trailed the tip of his tongue up to her nipple without touching it. He circled it several times before flattening his tongue and licking straight across it. She gasped, but didn't say a word. He gently bit her, before closing his mouth around it. She started to tunnel her fingers in his hair, but he captured her hands and pulled them over her head. She arched up into him, silently asking for more. "You want me to continue?"  
She nodded.  
"Then beg me."  
She once again gave him that stubborn look. "Just the answer I was hoping for." He moved off of her, but returned a second later with something in his hands. He'd looped the belt around her wrists before she could move. She started to struggle, but he attached the other end to the headboard. She wiggled her hands and found the bindings to be loose. Loose enough that she could pull free if she chose to. She didn't. He settled down beside her with his obvious erection pressed against her thigh. He flicked her nipples a few times and trailed his fingers down her stomach. He toyed with the waistband of her pants; dipping his fingers just underneath it. She tried to keep still, but a light tremor shook her body here and there. He inched into her pants a little at a time, watching her face as he went. "No panties? Someone was hoping for just this type of thing, huh?" He ran his fingers down her thigh, bypassing the place he wanted to touch most. He could feel her muscles clenching as he made his way back up slowly. Using one finger he traced the outer edge of her, gratified to hear her gasp. "Tell me what you want me to do."She refused to answer.

"Stubborn woman." He parted the folds and just barely inserted his finger into her. She arched and let out a soft whine. He pulled her pants the rest of the way off and moved between her legs. She tried to keep her thighs closed, but he pushed them apart easily. He layed down with his head propped on her thigh and continued where he'd left off. He could smell her arousal and it fed his own. He slipped one finger into her fully; feeling how tight she was. He almost groaned himself at the thought of burying himself into her. But not tonight. He used his other hand to lightly manipulate her clit while he worked the other one in and out of her; never giving her the pressure or pace she needed to cum. She was writhing on the bed within minutes. "Tell me what you want, Ash and I can make it happen." She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. He could feel her getting closer so he placed a light kiss on her clit. She screamed in frustration and pulled at the belt. "Shannon, I swear, if you don't…" She bit her lip and moaned when he slid another finger into her. "Don't what?"  
"You know what!"  
"Tell me." He gave her another small, intimate kiss.She bucked her hips up toward him. "Do you want to cum?" "YES!"  
"Then tell me."  
"I…I just…did."  
"I want to hear you say it."  
"Sh…Shannon." She moaned again. "Shannon…please. " "Please what?" She finally pulled her hands free of the belt and grabbed his head by the hair. "Make me cum."

He began thrusting his fingers faster immediately. She fell back to the bed with a hoarse cry. He found her clit with his lips and sucked it into his mouth. He felt her tighten on his fingers and she gave a loud groan as she came. He continued to nibble at her flesh until the spasms finished. He sat back on his heels and waited until she opened her eyes. Once she was watching him, he brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked her juices off of them. She sat up and started tugging on his boxers. He captured her hands. "We can't have sex tonight, Ash." She looked at him through blurry eyes. "What?"  
"I don't have any condoms. I wasn't expecting things to move this quickly."  
"You mean…you didn't have any intentions of…"  
"My only goal was making you cum. I think I accomplished that."  
"But I…I'm still…"  
"Horny? Me too. But we can't have everything we want, dear." Ash yelled wordlessly and flopped back against the bed. "I hate you." He layed down next to her and pulled her to his chest. "No, you don't."  
"Uh-huh. Just because I like what you do to me, doesn't mean I like you."  
"If I pick up some condoms tomorrow will you like me better?" "Maybe."

He woke her up early the next morning. When she got a look at what time it was she groaned and rolled back over. "Too fucking early."  
"The zoo opens at eight, Ash. We need to go early if we're going to see everything." When she still didn't move he slapped her on the ass. Ash yelped and bolted upright. She glared into his smiling face and slid out of bed. He'd laid a pair of shorts and a blue tank top out for her. She started to protest his assumption that she'd wear what he wanted her to, but realized that's what she'd have picked out. After she dressed and brushed her teeth and hair, Shannon held up a bottle of sunscreen. "We'll be outside all day. Let me put some on her shoulders." She turned around and felt him move her ponytail over her shoulder. He squirted the fragrant lotion into his hands and warmed it up before applying it to her skin. She sighed as he worked it in, letting the light coconut smell envelope her. He was done too soon. He held the bottle out to her with a smirk. "Do me now?"  
"You can make anything sound dirty."  
"Are we back to being prudish? Do I have to teach you another lesson?" Ash thought back to how hard it was to fall asleep last night. "No." She grabbed the bottle from him and slathered the cream onto the exposed parts of his shoulders.  
They drove down to the River Walk and bought two tickets to the zoo. When Shannon led her toward the waiting ferry, Ash faltered. "We're getting on a boat?"  
"Yeah."  
"Why?"  
"It'll take us to the zoo. And bring us back."  
"There isn't another way?"  
"We could've drove, but I thought you'd like to go this way." Ash steeled herself and slowly made her way to the ramp. They took a picture by a life preserver with S.S. Audubon written on it. Shannon held her clammy hand as they boarded. "Are you okay?"  
"Uh-huh."  
"Are you scared of boats?"  
"Not boats."  
"Water?" "Uh-huh."  
"Baby, I'm sorry. I didn't know. Shit, I'm such a bastard."  
"Not many people know, Shannon. It's okay."  
"Your dad didn't tell me when I told him what I was planning."  
"He doesn't know. Neither does Heather."  
"Who does?"  
"My mother and the emergency room doctors that had to pump water from my lungs."

They sat down at a table on the middle deck. Shannon put her back to the window so she wouldn't have to look out at the water. "What happened?"  
"I don't want to talk about it."  
"Okay." He pointed to the bar.  
"Want a drink?"  
"Just coke, please."  
"Sure." When he got back she guzzled the drink, hoping it would settle her stomach. The ride over lasted about thirty minutes. Shannon made goofy faces at her and kept her talking the whole time. The dread in the pit of her stomach finally lessened when her feet were on dry land. She took a few deep breaths and tried to stop shaking. Shannon looped an arm around her waist. "Let's go look at some nanimals."  
"Nanimals? What are we, like five?"  
"Sure. At least until we can get back to the cabin." Ash fought the blush, and this time succeeded. They did indeed act like kids through most of the park. Neither had been there before and they rediscovered the joys of zoo going together. Ash dragged Shannon by the hand to several different exhibits. They paused by the leopard area. She leaned back against Shannon and sighed. "Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to be one of them?"  
"Not really."  
"I have."  
"Are you not happy as a human?"  
"It's not that. I've just always wondered what it would be like to be a predator. A real one. And to be completely free. Not bound by any obligations or needs. Just an open…uh…where ever leopards are from."

Shannon smiled down at her. "I think I know what you mean." He kissed her forehead. "But I'm fine with all of my obligations. And I'm fine right where I am." She gave him a puzzled look and they moved on. It was damn near closing time when they made their way back to the ferry. "How 'bout a rum and coke on the way back?"  
"Sure." She found a seat while he got them some drinks. "So what's on the agenda for tonight?"  
"A quick stop at a drug store is my first priority. Past that I don't care."  
"What makes you think I still want to sleep with you?"  
He shrugged. "We could always play 'have you ever' again."  
"That's okay."  
"You didn't like the way the last game ended?"  
"With my sister calling? Not really."  
"The phone is on silent."  
"Which reminds me. I really do need to call her back."  
"You can call her when we get back to the cabin." After a stop at Wallgreens they headed back to their temporary home. Ash grabbed the cell phone and went outside, wanting privacy for just a moment. Heather picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"  
"Sorry about Shannon being so rude last night."  
"It's fine. Did you have fun?"  
"Up until a certain point."  
"Hurt?"  
"We didn't get that far." Heather waited for her sister to continue.  
"How bad is it really?"  
"A pretty good bit. But it's worth it. And Shannon's a sweetie. I'm sure he'll be careful."  
"I know."  
"Don't be nervous. That'll make it worse."  
"Okay. Relax. Got it."  
"Ash, I can't believe I'm giving you a pre-sex pep talk."  
"Yeah. It is kinda fucked up."  
"So I'm gonna let yo go now. Have fun."  
"I'll try."

Ash walked inside to find an empty living room. She heard noise coming from the bedroom and went down the hall. She found Shannon sprawled out on the bed in just his jeans watching TV. He looked up at her. "Hey babe."  
"Uh, hi." She perched on the very edge of the bed. He patted the spot next to him.  
She shook her head.  
"Come on. I won't bite. Unless you ask me to." She stiffly scooted up to where he'd indicated. He pulled her against his side and turned his attention back to the TV. She relaxed by slow degrees. He ran his hand lazily up and down her arm. Eventually she moved into a more comfortable position with her head on his shoulder. "Why don't you take your shoes off? You'll be more comfortable."  
She sat up and removed her sneakers then lay back down. He curled her against him again. He traced circles on her side where her shirt had come up a little bit. She stiffened again when he started further up her ribcage.  
"Freezing up on me all of a sudden?" "No."  
"What's with the jumpy?"  
"I don't know." He pulled her on top of him and sat her up. "Nervous?"  
"Maybe."  
"I won't make you do anything you don't want to. We can just watch movies tonight."  
She idly ran her fingers over his chest. "I don't care."  
"Yes you do."  
"Shannon, I don't know what I want. I'm completely out of my element here. But wasn't that your intention?"  
"Originally, yes. But I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything for me. I didn't know you were a virgin when I planned this little adventure. The rules have kind of changed since then."  
"How?"  
"Now I'm going to let you control the pace. Before I was going to take charge and force you to keep up."  
"That's reassuring."  
"You do what you want to do. I'll go along with it."

She couldn't resist the sweet smile he was giving her. She felt her heart start to melt, but shook it off. She would not let her heart come into this. She leaned down to kiss him. As he'd said, he let her have complete control. She explored his mouth with her tongue, finding out what made him sigh and what made him groan. He was as responsive tonight as she'd been last night. His hands stayed on her hips the entire time she played. Eventually she drug herself away from his mouth and peppered light kisses over his cheeks and eyes. She kissed his eyebrow ring and then moved to his ear. He groaned again when she traced the outer shell with her tongue. She pulled at the barbell through his lobe with her teeth, and then kissed it. She worked her way down his throat to the little hollow at the base where she licked inside. His grip on her tightened. She scooted down so she could reach his chest. She wasn't sure if male nipples were as sensitive as hers were, but it was worth a shot. Apparently they were, because he let out a gasp when she bit one. "Did I hurt you?"  
"Yeah, but in a good way." His voice was raspy; his eyes heavy lidded.  
He looked sexy as hell like this. Ash bent her head again, determined to taste as much of him as she could. She continued her downward path to the barrier of his pants. She sat up and started to unbuckle them. He put his hands over hers. "If we're not going to have sex, I'd rather keep them on. Better self control and all that."  
"You've shown perfect control."  
"But with you I could loose it at any time." She looked him in the eye and finished undoing his pants. She pulled them down his legs and off. "I trust you."  
Shannon smiled at her words. "She'll never know how much that means to me." He thought to himself. "That's great." He said out loud. "But I don't trust myself."  
"If I ask you to stop, will you?"  
"Of course." He couldn't say how happy he'd be, but he'd stop.  
"That's all I need to know." She pulled off her clothes before removing his boxers. She stood before him, completely naked, and blushed. "You're beautiful."  
"That's the first time anyone's ever accused me of that. I never pictured it'd be you that said it, Shannon."  
"Come here."

She crawled back up his body and lay down beside him again. "I think I'm going to let you take thing's from here. I'm not quite sure how to go about things."  
"It's not terribly difficult. You just do what feels good."  
"But I don't know what you like…or what I like for that matter."  
"So we play. For instance, I already know you like it when I do this." He leaned down and captured her nipple in his lips. "And this." He slid his hand down past her curls and touched her clit gently. "But past that I'm stumped."  
She reached out for him and closed her hand around his hard on. She smiled at his almost pained expression. "So I guess you like that?"  
"Most definitely."  
She slowly moved her hand up and down on him. After a few strokes he reluctantly pulled her hand away. "Too much of that and it'll be over."  
She pouted but took her hand away.  
"You can play more next time." He pushed a finger inside to make it up to her. She gasped and arched against him. "Just let me know when you're ready."  
"Uh-huh. Don't stop." When he felt her loosening more, he gave her another finger. She thrashed underneath him and clenched her teeth. This time he didn't tease her when he felt her nearing the edge. He increased his rhythm until she came apart. "You more relaxed now?"  
"Mmmm-hmmm."

He'd stopped moving, but didn't remove his fingers. Are you waiting for permission?"  
"Yes."  
"You have it." He rolled to the side and grabbed a condom. He tore into the foil and carefully covered himself with the latex. When he positioned himself between her legs he could feel her shaking. He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. "I'll be careful. I promise."  
"I know," she said through tight lips.  
He pressed forward a little bit, and she screamed. He stopped immediately. "Ash, I haven't even started yet."  
"Oh, sorry."  
"Baby, please try to calm down."  
"I don't take pain well if I don't know what to expect."  
"When you got your belly button pierced, did you know what to expect?"  
"No. And I screamed bloody murder."  
"But was it that bad?" "No."  
"So trust me."  
She breathed deeply through her nose. "Okay. Let's get it over with."

He guided himself to her tight entrance and slipped in just enough to start stretching her. She stiffened, but didn't scream. She had her eyes squeezed shut. He knew he was going to have to hurt her. There was no getting around it. "I'm just gonna do it."  
She nodded, still not looking at him. He buried his face in her neck and pushed all the way in. This time she screamed for real. He held her against his chest, rocking and trying to sooth her. She looked up at him and tried to blink back the tears. "You stopped."  
"I can't hurt you. I just can't do it."  
"Well the damage is done now. Might as well continue."  
He braced himself on his elbows. "Are you sure?"  
"I think so."  
He made the smallest move and watched her flinch. "How bad is it?"  
"Not so much anymore."  
"Okay." He retreated a little more and pushed back in. She didn't flinch this time. "Getting better?"  
"Uh-huh."  
"I'll try to make it good for you. But I don't know if you'll…you know. At least this first time."  
"Shannon, are you playing bashful?"  
"I just don't want to be rough with you right now." He started to move faster, still watching her face for any sign of pain. He could tell when it started to feel good. A flush crept up her neck and into her face. Her breathing sped up and she started to clutch at his shoulders.  
"I think you can go a little faster now."  
He groaned and stopped all together. "When you say that it makes me want to loose control."  
"So do it."

He breathed heavily into her hair. "Oh God. Don't let me hurt you." He thrust again, this time harder than before. He heard her moan, but not in pain. He tried to make it last, tried to let her cum first, but his body took over. His thrust got shorter, faster, until he was practically slamming into her. His arms locked at the elbows and he vaguely felt her writhing under him. When her muscles clamped down he lost it. He gave another two short savage pumps and came with a growl. He collapsed on top of her and his breath left him in a rush.  
"Am I still alive?"  
He rolled to the side, bringing her with him. He saw her small flinch and carefully withdrew. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be so rough."  
"Don't you dare apologize. It got a lot better near the end."  
"So I felt."  
Ash blushed much to his amusement. He gave her a lingering kiss. "You're precious when you blush. Let me get cleaned up and I'll be right back." When he was done in the bathroom, he slipped back in bed. She curled into his warmth and was already almost asleep. "Ash?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Does this change things between us?"  
She looked up at him sleepily. "Like what?"  
"Are you going to go back to hating me when we get home?"  
"Some how I doubt that very much, Shannon."

The next couple of days flew by in a blur. Before they knew it, it was time to start home. Ash was reluctant to leave their little cabin and go back to the real world. She slept most of the way, but about an hour from home she woke up. "Can't we just turn around and live in New Orleans?"  
Shannon laughed. "If we lived there the novelty would wear off pretty fast."  
"You're probably right."  
"Are you okay?"  
"I guess."  
"Wanna talk about it?"  
"There's nothing to talk about."  
"Yeah there is. Like how things are going to be now."  
"Nothing's really changed Shannon. I said I don't hate you. I never really did but I think you know that."  
"Things are going to change, Ash."  
"They don't have to."  
"Yes they do. Did you think that I planned all this just to get you into bed?"  
"Don't."  
"I have to. You know I've had strong feelings for you since we were kids."  
"A crush, Shannon. You had a crush."  
"For this many years? It started out as a crush. Spending all this time with you just made me realize that it's more than that now." She wished he'd stop talking. Wished he'd change the subject. "My goals haven't changed."  
"What are your goals exactly?" "Number one is to find out who I am."  
"I can tell you that."  
"That's the problem. My whole life I've had people telling me who I am. I want to find out for myself. I'm The Undertaker's daughter. I'm Heather's sister. I was even The She Bitch's punching bag. But I wasn't me. I can't add Shannon's lover to that too."  
"You know you'd be more than just my lover."  
"So what're we going to do? I'd move in with you. We'd spend all of our time together and probably get sick of each other. Possibly get married or some shit. And I still wouldn't know who I am."  
"So you can't be yourself and be with me?"

She took a long time to answer. "Not right now, I can't."  
"When?"  
"I don't know, Shannon. I don't have all the fucking answers. Why can't you just let whatever happens happen?"  
"Because the only way I got anywhere with you was to MAKE it happen."  
"Well, some thing's you can't force."  
"And some things are just too damn important to let slip through your fingers. Ash, I love…"  
"Shannon, please don't say it." He shook his head vehemently. "I love you. I don't care if you can't say it back. I love you whether or not you love me. If you don't want to be together I can handle that."  
"I'm not saying never. Just not now."  
"Fine. You go find yourself. And if the road leads back to me, I'll be waiting."

**Yes i know that was a very long chapter, Probably the longest one to the whole story, Please review,sorry about the sex scene but it is very important to the story!**


	8. Chapter 8

Ash grabbed her gym bag and headed toward the parking garage. She turned around when she heard someone calling her name. She let out a squeal when she saw her sister running at her. They hugged and Ash giggled in excitement. "What're you doing here? I thought you were in New York?" "We were. Jeff's knees are getting worse so he took a few days off to recuperate. We flew down here to surprise you guys."Since the brands had split she hadn't seen her sister much. Heather had stayed on Raw to be with Jeff, while Ash had been put on Smackdown. "Is he okay?" "Yeah. He's getting some x-rays done tomorrow."  
"So that means you guys are coming home for a little bit?" "Yeah. At least until we find out how bad it is this time." "Dad will be ecstatic. So will Sara." Heather gave her sister a sharp look. "You two getting along better?" Ash shrugged. "I still don't call her mom or anything. But I guess she's not so bad." Heather still looked skeptical. "If you say so."

"Where is Jeff, anyway?" "Talking to Shannon. Of course it's the stupid guy macho slapping each other on the back and talking shop type of thing." "Oh." "When are you going to put both of you out of each other's misery?" "He's got a girlfriend, Heather. Not much I can do about it." "You don't think so, huh?" "She's nice. I don't want him to hurt her because I can't make up my mind." "You've met her?" They started walking back towards Ash's Mustang. "A couple of times. He brings her to the shows close to home." "You must hate that." "Not really. Like I said, I can't make up my mind one way or another. Why should I expect him to wait around to see if I want to be with him when I finally decide to be with someone?" "Because you guys love each other." "Mmmm-hmmm. Just because you and Jeff have this too fucking perfect relationship doesn't mean everyone else has to be deliriously happy." "Yes it does." "Besides, Shannon and I have a better relationship now than we used to." "So you don't beat his head into the ground anymore. Big deal. That's not exactly a relationship."

"Can we just drop it? You're not going to be happy with anything I have to say about the relationship Shannon and I have. Or lack thereof." "Fine. You headed back to Dad's?" "I was going to stop by my apartment first. But I'll be by there later." "Okay, I'm going to go find Jeff and I'll see you at Dad's."Ash hugged her sister one more time and slid behind the wheel of her car. Smackdown had been taped in Houston so it only took her a few minutes to get home. She let herself into the apartment and toed her shoes off. A hot shower was screaming her name. She'd had a brutal hardcore match with Nidia earlier and most of her muscles were aching. Since she'd spent a few weeks in OVW they'd started using her as a wrestler as well as valet. She loved being able to get in the ring with other wrestlers. Not everyone she wrestled were women either. Her and Shannon had done some mixed tag as well. She was still his valet even after almost a year. Story line wise when they'd gotten back, 'Taker had tried to kill Shannon, but she'd protected him from her father. 'Taker couldn't hurt him if his little girl didn't want him to.

Ash stripped down and stepped under the hot spray. She'd been living alone for the last six months and absolutely loved it. Most of the time. Every once in a while, when a case of insomnia raged through her, she wished she was still in her dad's house. Someone was usually up at odd hours of the night. Even if it was just Samantha. Baby 'Taker had been born four months ago. Usually Ash refused to have anything to do with it. But when no one was watching, the baby was kind of cute.After cleaning up, Ash dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and threw on some sneakers. She left her hair to swing free and headed to her dads. She grabbed an over night bag on her way out the door. It was already almost eleven. If she and Heather stayed up late talking, she'd probably just crash there.She pulled up to the ranch style house and smiled. She hadn't been gone long, but it still felt like too damn long. When she walked in to the living room she was greeted with the sight of Sara standing on a chair hanging a picture of a turkey on the wall. "What the hell is that?" "I'm decorating for thanksgiving."

"Why?"

"Because she wants to." Mark dropped a kiss on his daughter's head as he walked up behind her. "Oh, so she's crazy? Got it. Hey Sara, I got another joke for you." "Lay it on me." Sara finished hanging the monstrosity and climbed down."How many blondes does it take to change a light bulb?" "How many?" "What's a light bulb?" "Cute, Ash." Every time Ash saw her stepmother she had to tell a blond joke. It had become a ritual. "Is Heather here yet?" "She's in her room. She said she'd be down in a second."The doorbell rang and since Ash was closest, she answered it. Shannon was standing on the other side. "Oh, hi, Shannon." "Hey Ash. How's it going?" "It's going. Come on in." He walked by and she could smell his soap. Apparently he'd just showered too. "Is Krista going to be joining us this evening?" "No. She's got school tomorrow."They lapsed into uncomfortable silence. A lot of their conversations ended up that way now. Thankfully Heather and Jeff came down the stairs. Ash gave Jeff a hug and asked how he was feeling.He shrugged. "Fine."

"Uh-huh. Hurting like a bitch?" "Pretty much."Sara greeted Shannon. "Would you like something to drink?"Before he could answer Ash interrupted. "Why didn't you offer me a drink?" "You know where we keep them."Ash glared at her and stalked to the kitchen with a smile. She jumped when she heard Shannon come up behind her. "I didn't think she was making you get your own too." "She's not. I offered."Ash opened the fridge. "Let's see. They've got beer, soda; I see a couple of wine coolers. Some o.j. And milk." "Just a soda I guess." "You don't want a beer?" "Nah."Ash handed him a coke and took one for herself before leaving the kitchen without looking at him. Everyone was seated in the living room. Jeff pointed to the homemade collage he and Heather had done for Ash 18th birthday. "Why didn't you take that with you to your new apartment?"

"'Cause it belongs here. This is where we made all of the memories depicted in it." "But you don't get to see it very often, do you?" "No," Mark answered. "She doesn't. Because she never comes to see me anymore."Sara patted his leg. "It's okay, dear." "No, it's not. You raise two children and then they move out and never come home anymore." "Dad! You need to get a hobby or something. Besides, you've got a new baby to deal with." Heather rolled her eyes at their father. "Speaking of," Ash looked around. "Where is the little demon?" "In the nursery." Sara held up a baby monitor. "She's starting to cut teeth, so she's been pretty fussy." "Lovely. Baby 'Taker cutting teeth." "Do you have to call her that?" "Come on, Dad, you had nicknames for us when we were kids." "Yeah Dad." Heather piped in. "I was the good one and Ash was the little one."Sara laughed. "When he was bringing me to meet you guys for the first time, he told me to watch out for the little one. But I don't think you're that bad."Mark snorted. "Ask Shannon to show you his battle scars sometime."Shannon lifted up his ponytail and pointed to a thin white line at the base of his skull. "She threw me at a rock."

"Why?"Ash shrugged. "'Cause Dad said I couldn't throw rocks at him anymore. I was creative in finding ways around what Dad told me not to do." "Very much so. She also got thrown out of the skating rink when she was 13 for hitting Shannon with an air hockey paddle." "He beat me. I told him not to. Plus, he'd tried to couples skate with me earlier. I had to retaliate."Sara shook her head at them; half wishing she'd been around for this stuff. "Sounds like you two were meant for each other."Ash looked down and her hands and Shannon looked uncomfortable. He finally cleared his throat and stood. "I really should get going. I told Krista I'd help her study for her final tomorrow."Jeff walked out with him. As soon as they were outside, Sara turned to Ash. "I'm so sorry. It just slipped out. I didn't mean to upset you guys." "It's fine, Sara. Forget it." But Ash excused herself not long after. She went to her old room and flopped down on the bed. She figured Heather would be up in a second, and sure enough, she popped in less than a minute later


	9. Chapter 9

"You okay?" "Peachy" "Tell him you made a mistake." "I didn't though. I really did need time to figure out how to be on my own." "And now?" "I miss being around everyone. Especially since you've moved in with Jeff and travel on a different schedule." "But you're still with Dad on the road." "I know. And I have been spending a good bit of time over here lately"Making friends with the baby are we?" "Not really. She cries a lot and smells sometimes." "Okay, Ash, that pretty much answers my question. I meant Sara when I said the baby." "Oops. Well, isn't this a change. Of the two of us, I had always pictured you staying closer to home. I thought you'd be more likely to befriend Sara first too. You're usually nicer than I am." "I would've thought so to. It's funny how things work out, isn't it?" "Yeah. I guess it is."Jeff knocked on the open door. "Sorry to interrupt girl talk but I wanted to let you know I'm going to bed."

"Okay, sweetie. I'll be there in a little while." "No you won't. You're going to stay up all night talking to Ash. But it's fine. I'll see you in the morning." He kissed the top of Heather's head and said goodnight to Ash.They talked a for a bit, then headed back downstairs. They were just to the bottom when Ash stopped her sister and pointed to the living room. Mark was stretched out on the couch with his head in Sara's lap, watching TV. Sara, instead of paying attention to the screen, was staring at Mark. The girls could see the complete adoration in her eyes from there. "She's like that a lot. I really do think she cares about him. And she's been good for him. He's been watching what he eats and going to the gym more. He drinks less beer. It's like he wants to make sure he's around a lot longer." "We've been bitching at him for years to take better care of himself." "Uh-huh." "Okay, well, maybe she has her good points." "Yeah. Maybe. And she makes Dad really happy too. You know Christmas is coming up." "Yeah." "I think we should do something for her." "Like what?" "I don't know. We'll think of something." "What're you two whispering about?" Mark called."Nothing Daddy." The said in unison then laughed together. No matter how old you got, some things never changed.Ash was on her way downstairs, dressed for a workout, when Sara stopped her. "Do you have a second?" "Sure. What'cha need?" "I want to get something really nice for your father for Christmas and I need some help. I don't want to buy him another generic gift that he'll just put up in a closet somewhere."

"Okay. Any ideas?" "No. That's why I'm asking you. As well as I know Mark, you've been around him a lot longer than I have." "Let me ask Heather and I'll get back to you." "Sure. Thanks Ash."Ash continued on her way to the basement gym where she found her father already lifting weights. "Hey."He glanced up. "Hey yourself." "Mind if I join you?" "Not at all. Grab a barbell."Ash picked up a set and began. They didn't talk through most of the workout. To cool down they ended up on the treadmills. "Something on your mind?"She shrugged. "Not really. Why?" "You've been distracted lately." "I guess. Has it showed in the ring?" "No. You're as focused as ever in your work. Sometimes that worries me." "Why?" "I see too much of myself in you. You're throwing yourself into wrestling to avoid problems you're having outside the ring. That's not healthy. "The Deadman waxes poetic." "Stop. I'm trying to give you fatherly advice here. You're not helping.""I'm sorry, Dad. I'll try to make this as painless on you as possible. Please continue."He gave her a bland look before he spoke again. "All I'm saying is that it's never been like you to run from your fears."  
"I'm not afraid of anything." "Liar. You're afraid of loosing yourself in a relationship." "Is that so wrong?" "I guess not. Considering what examples you had to see as a child." "Dad, my dysfunctions are not your fault." "Don't think of it as loosing yourself. Think of it as finding someone who completes you." "Does Sara do that for you?" "Yeah. She really does. Do you think I wasn't having second thoughts about getting married again? It was scary as hell. But something just told me that Sara wasn't like the others. That she was the one. And she is."Ash didn't say anything as she continued to walk at a fast pace. "So you're telling me to…what? Kick Shannon's girlfriends ass and take him back?"

"No, Ash. That's not at all what I'm saying. I'm just saying that you need to figure out what you want so you can be happy. That's all I've ever wanted for you girls."Ash was just getting out of the shower when she heard Heather squealing. She haphazardly threw her clothes on and rushed downstairs. "What's going on?" "The doctor doesn't think Jeff's seriously injured. He didn't blow out his knee again. We're still waiting for some x-ray's but he thinks Jeff will be able to return to the ring in about two weeks." "Congrats, girl." "We should celebrate. Let's go drinking tonight."Jeff smiled at his girlfriend. "Get some people together and we'll go."Heather grabbed her cell phone and started calling. A few minutes later she hung up. "Shannon say's he's up for it. And he's bringing Krista. Did you want to bring someone, Ash?" "I'll call a friend of mine and see if he's free." "Okay. Well let's meet at The Hog at ten." "Got it. I'm going to run home and I'll see you guys later."Heather and Jeff picked Ash up at her apartment. "Couldn't get a hold of your friend?" "He's going to meet us there." "Ash, I don't like it when you're being secretive."She just batted her eyes innocently at her sister. They drove to the Mahogany Bar. It had a nice quiet atmosphere and most importantly, dark tables in the back. Almost all of them were seen on the TV once a week and had to keep a low profile to keep from being mauled. Shannon and Krista showed up ten minutes later. Krista didn't look totally happy to be there. While they were getting settled Ash looked over their shoulders at the man who'd just walked in. He was tall and slender; his leather pants accentuating his muscular thighs and lean legs. His button down leather shirt gaped open at the top. He gave her a feral grin and looked pointedly at Shannon and Krista with a knowing look. She smiled sweetly. She knew he'd come through for her. She stood up to greet him when he neared the table. He gave her an affectionate hug and whispered, "Bad girl" in her ear. She turned back to the table. "I think you all know Adam."

He shook hands with Jeff. "Been awhile, man. Glad to see you haven't killed yourself yet."Jeff laughed and tipped his head toward his girlfriend. "The boss makes me take it easy." "Smart girl."Ash slipped around him, "I'll be right back. Adam will you order me a drink?" "Sure, honey."Heather followed her to the bathroom. "Why did you bring him?" "Why not? Adam's been a good friend of mine. We go out drinking sometimes.""And you're trying to make Shannon jealous." "Why the hell not. He's practically been flaunting that little bitch under my nose for months. And I haven't retaliated yet. Now's just as good a time as any. And who better than Adam? The man just screams 'SEX'" "No kidding, Ash. Which brings me to my next question." "No, Heather. I haven't slept with him. We're really just friends. He's easy to talk to and he's fun. He lets me get trashed when I've had a bad day and drives me home." "That's all? He seemed kind of touchy when he got here." "He's a smart boy. He knew what his role would be tonight as soon as he saw Shannon and Krista."The four left at the table tried to make small talk while they waited for the girls to come back. The waitress came over to take drink orders. Jeff ordered two glasses of wine. Shannon got a beer for himself and a coke for Krista. Adam, too, asked for a beer. The woman pointed to Ash's empty seat. "Do you know what she wants?"Shannon and Adam spoke at the same time. "Rum and coke."Shannon glared at the other man and looked away.


	10. chapter 10

The girls finally made their way back to the table and sat down. Ash sipped her drink and smiled to herself. Shannon was looking disgruntled and she wondered what had happened while she was gone. Jeff asked Krista about school and she droned on about her major and when she would be graduating. When the waitress walked by again, Adam flagged her down and ordered Ash another drink. She smiled at him and cuddled into the space he'd made for her against his side. He'd thrown one arm over the back of her chair so that his hand rested on her shoulder. Shannon was downing his beer like he was dying of thirst. Krista fixed him with a stern glare. "Shannon, should you really be drinking this much? You said you'd drive me home."

"I'm fine, Krista. Besides, this is my best friends little shindig. We have cause for celebration."

"But who's going to drive me home?"

"There are plenty of sober people at this table. And if nothing else you can drive my car."

"I can't drive a stick and you know it."

Ash snorted and tried to hide her laugh in Adam's shoulder. He lightly flicked her ear. "Be good."

"She's making it to easy."

"What's so funny?" Krista sounded like a little girl.

"Uh, nothing."

Shannon turned his slightly watery green eyes to her. "No, Ash. What's so funny about not being able to handle a stick shift?"

"I just have a fucked up sense of humor that's all. But I'm sure Heather got it."

Krista turned her stern glare toward Ash. "Were you comparing a gear stick to a penis?"

"Yes. Yes I was." Ash was proud of herself for keeping a straight face.

"How juvenile."

"More like locker room trash talk. I guess you have to be one of us to get our humor." Adam squeezed her shoulder to let her know she was being a bitch. But she already knew that. She'd gotten very tired of Krista's good little girl image. Every time one of them told an off color joke, she blushed and turned away. It was really starting to grate on Ash's nerves.

"Shannon, I would like to leave now, please."

"Krista, it's still early."

"I have school tomorrow. I want to go. Now."

"Fine. But I can't drive. I'll call you a cab, okay?"

"Whatever. How will you get home?"

Adam spoke up. "I'm usually the sober one. I'll make sure he gets home safely."

Shannon nodded and got up with Krista. "I'll be back in a little while."

As soon as they were out of ear shot three sets of eyes turned to Ash. "What?"

Heather tried not to smile. "You were a little harsh."

"My ass I was. She was acting like we're all a bunch of uneducated, red neck heathens. It was pissing me off." Ash pinched her nose to make her voice sound whiney. "And I'll have a degree in December so I'll be able to move onto bigger and better things." Ash rolled her eyes. "Please, bitch, you're going to teach. I make more money in a year then she'll see in two. Bigger and better things. Yeah. Okay."

Jeff cleared his throat. "So, are we going to hang out here all night or do you guys want to hit a club?"

"Jeff, you can't dance."

He gave Heather a sultry smile. "What about slow songs?"

She tried not to give in, but he was just so damn cute. "Fine. But only the slow ones."

He got to his feet slowly. "Let's go collect Shannon from Krista's clutches and head out then."

Adam fished his keys out of his pocket. "I've probably got the biggest car, and I haven't even finished one drink. I'll drive." They followed him out to an Explorer and piled inside. Ash sat up front next to Adam. They waited for the cab to pick Krista up and Shannon joined them. Heather directed Adam to a good club and they got out.

Ash could feel the bass from inside vibrating through her as they walked up. Adam slung his arm around her shoulders when they got through the doors. Without preamble he pulled her onto the dance floor. She'd only been dancing a couple of times since the trip to New Orleans so she felt awkward at first but Adam was a good partner. He swayed in front of her with one arm around her waist. Finally finding her rhythm, she draped her arm around his neck and gyrated her hips against him. He leaned down to speak in her ear. "Don't look now, but the kid looks like he's going to bust a gasket."

Ash hid her smile in his chest. " I don't actually see why he's getting so upset. He did bring Krista out with us."

"He was hoping you'd be flying solo so he could make you jealous."

"Bastard."

"Yeah, but it's a guy thing. I'd do it too if I was in his situation."

"Don't turn all traitor on me and tell me I'm not doing the right thing."

"Wouldn't dream of it, doll."

By the time they left the closing club, Shannon was trashed. Adam drove back to The Hog. "So how are we going to get everyone and their cars home?"

Jeff got out. "I'm sober. I'll drive me and Heather back to Marks."

Ash sighed. "I rode with them, but I guess I can drive Shannon home in his car. I'm not drunk either."

"Do you know how to handle my stick?"

Ash shot Shannon a dirty look. "My Mustang is a standard, asshole."

"I wasn't talking about a gear stick."

"Keep talking and I'll leave your drunk ass out here."

He shut his mouth and handed her his keys. Adam walked over to Shannon's car with her. "Call me when you get back to your house so I know you're okay."

"Don't trust her with me, Adam?" Shannon sneered.

"Get in the fucking car and shut up."

He glared at Ash, but did as she said.

"Thanks for the concern, Adam. But I'll be fine. I can handle him."

"I know you can. Alright, I'll see you later."

Ash got in and started the car. "You're a bastard when your wasted, Shannon."

"And you're a heartless bitch when you're not."

"Too true." They drove to his house in silence after that. She helped him stumble into his bedroom and let him fall onto the bed. She was almost out the door when she heard him speak.

"I didn't mean it."

"Mean what, Shannon."

"You're not a heartless bitch."

"Yes I am. Go to sleep."

"You brought him just to make me jealous, didn't you?"

"I don't know." She sounded tired.

"Yeah you do."

"Maybe, Shannon. We'll talk when you've sobered up. Right now you need to sleep it off."

"No. I wanna talk now."

"Fine." Ash flopped into a chair by the door.

"Why do you want to make me jealous?"

"Why do you flaunt Krista in my face."

"I don't."

"The hell you don't. You bring her around as much as you can manage."

"She's my girlfriend, Ash. Of course I want her around."

"This is going nowhere. You do what you want and I'll do what I want."

He got to his feet. "Well, if we're doing what we want." He went to his knees in front of her.

"Shannon, you shouldn't do this."

His mouth was mere inches from hers.

"What about Krista?"

He shot to his feet. "FUUUUCK! I can't fucking win with you! I'm sick to fucking death of this hot and cold shit. I don't get you!"

"I don't get me, either. So join the club."

"If you gave me one good reason I'd break up with her. Just give me some assurance that it'd be worth it."

"I can't do that, Shannon. You know I can't."

He ran his fingers through his two toned hair and sat on the end of the bed. "Then I guess we're right back where we started."

"I guess so."

"Why are you still here then?"

"Good fucking question." Ash got up and headed for the door. "I'll get your car back to you tomorrow." Then she left. She did call Adam on her way home. He picked up on the second ring. "Want to come over?"

"No."

"Why not?"

She heard him sigh. "Because you sound pissed. And I know where this will lead."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. And I'm just not into meaningless sex with one of my best friends tonight. Try again tomorrow."

"Tomorrow I'll probably have come to my senses."

"Exactly."


	11. Chapter 11

Ash stormed out of the practice ring and into the back. She was all off today. She just couldn't focus. Disgustedlquote

"Yeah. Wouldn't conform to the Bischoff/Morelly administration."

"I'm sure you'll be a great asset to Smackdown. Welcome aboard." She started to continue on her rampage, but he stopped her.

"What are you doing after the show?"

Ash propped her hand on her hip. "Are you trying to ask me out?"

"Not if you're going to say no."

She thought for a moment. "What hotel are you staying at?"

"Holiday Inn."

"Me too. Meet me at room 102 around 11. We'll find somewhere to go."

"Sounds good.Yeah. Wouldn't conform to the Bischoff/Morelly administration."

"I'm sure you'll be a great asset to Smackdown. Welcome aboard." She started to continue on her rampage, but he stopped her.

"What are you doing after the show?"

Ash propped her hand on her hip. "Are you trying to ask me out?"

"Not if you're going to say no."

She thought for a moment. "What hotel are you staying at?"

"Holiday Inn."

"Me too. Meet me at room 102 around 11. We'll find somewhere to go."

"Sounds good." His eyes widened as he looked behind her. "I'll see you then."

Ash turned around to find her father looming over her. "Did I hear you right? Are you going out with Rob?"

"What of it?"

"He's…"

"Dad, if you're going to say he's older than me, just stop right there."

He looked slightly sheepish and shut his mouth. "Just be careful."

Ash made a disgusted noise and went to get ready for her match. Later that night she made her entrance with Shannon. They were fighting Jamie Nobels and Nidia. They managed to work together without too many screw ups, but couldn't seem to find their in ring chemistry. Big surprise. After they won they made their way back to the locker room without speaking. Ash hurriedly showered and went back to the hotel to dress. She'd brought a pair of red leather pants and a black halter in case Adam wanted to go out, but they would work for Rob too.

Right on time someone knocked on her door. She opened it and smiled. Rob was dressed in black slacks and a fitted black t-shirt. "I feel underdressed."

She shook her head. "Don't. You look great."

"You ready?"

"Yeah. Any idea what to do here?"

"Um…it's been a while since I was in LA. But I'm sure we can find something to entertain us."

They ended up in a Japanese restaurant having dinner on the floor in a little room. She sipped her hot tea cautiously after blowing on the steaming brew.

"Ever had saki?"

"Um, no. What is it?"

"Rice wine. It's pretty good. If I get some will you try it?"

She nodded. "Sure."

Rob ordered the saki when their meals came. Ash had gotten something she considered safe. Fried rice. Rob ordered several different kinds of sushi. He held out one of the small rolls at the end of his chopsticks. "Want to try it?"

Ash moved her head back a little. "I don't know about that."

"Trust me. It's good."

"If you say so." Ash opened her mouth and let him place the sushi on her tongue. She tentatively chewed amazed to find it was good. She had soon abandoned her rice and they shared Rob's plate. She tried the saki and wrinkled her nose at the bitter liquid. "I think I'll stick with normal wine."

Rob smiled and dabbed at a drop of soy sauce that clung to her lip. "At least you're trying new things."

"You don't know that half of it."

When she got back to her room, she checked her cell phone. Three missed calls and all from the same number. She called Adam back.

"Where were you? I thought we were going to check out some LA clubs."

"I'm sorry, Adam. I went out with Rob."

"Van Dam?"

"The whole fucking show."

"Well that's a charming new development."

"I thought so."

"You're not just using him, too. Are you?"

"No. He's sweet. I think I like him."

"You could do worse. Did he come back to your room with you?"

"Goodnight, Adam." She hung up with a smile and climbed into bed alone.

Ash tossed her stuff into the back of Rob's rented car. He'd asked her to ride with him to the next show. They'd seen each other at least once a week for the last several weeks. They had a 10 hour drive to Cincinnati ahead of them. Once all the bags were in, they headed out. "What are you plans for Christmas?"

She shrugged. "Probably staying with my dad. Heather and Jeff will be there. Dad made sure of that. You?"

"Back up to Michigan."

"Isn't the show after Christmas in New Mexico?"

"I think so."

"Maybe you could stop by on the way and spend some time with us."

"You want me to?"

"Yeah. Why do you sound so surprised?"

He shrugged. "You're just so closed off about your family life."

"Shannon will probably be there one of the days at least."

"Oh. I get it."

"It's just awkward, that's all."

"If you don't want me to come…"

"I do."

Rob gave her a lopsided grin. "Then I'll be there."

The whole house was filled with noise. Christmas carols played in the living room. Sara was banging around in the kitchen, and Samantha could be heard gurgling from her walker. Ash entered the kitchen with a smile. "Did you get it finished?"

"Yeah." Sara gave her a conspiratory wink.

Mark slanted his eyes at them and left the room. Both women laughed. "He's going crazy, isn't he?"

"Yes! He's been looking through all the usual hiding places trying to find it."

"Where'd you hide it?"

"My mother's. She brought it over earlier while he was out."

Ash smiled at Sara's sneakiness and reached down to tickle Samantha. "She's getting so big."

"I know. Pretty soon she'll be walking."

"And then there'll be no stopping the rampage of Baby 'Taker."

"No kidding."

Once they were all gathered around the Christmas tree Mark spoke, holding up a glass of eggnog. "I can't tell you guys how happy I am that you all could be here."

"Dad, no speeches please."

"Shut-up, Ashley."

"Seriously," Heather cut in. "Can we get to the present opening part?"

"Fine, you greedy people. Dig in." He sat back down with a smile and picked up Samantha. Sara slyly ducked out of the room and returned with a large flat package. She handed it to Mark and took the baby.

"Merry Christmas, Mark."

He tore into the present and could only stare at it. He looked at his daughters. "Did you help her with this?"

They both nodded.

He turned it around to show everyone. It was an oil painted portrait of all of them. Mark holding Samantha with Sara beside him. Ashley and Heather knelt at their feet looking up. Sara touched his cheek. "We posed for the picture and had them paint you in."

"Thank you."

Ash cleared her throat and pulled a small wrapped box from under the tree. "This is from me and Heather, Sara."

She opened it and tears sprang to her eyes. She pulled out a chain with a dog tag on the end. 'Taker's Girl's gleamed in the light. "You guys…"

Heather held up a hand. "Don't cry or anything. We just thought it was fitting. Sam will probably get one too when she gets older."

Mark stared at his family with a smile. His family. His girls. All of them were his girls.


	12. Chapter 12

Ash ran a hand down Rob's sweat slicked back and kissed his temple. He rolled to the side and lay there for a minute before sitting up. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "This isn't working, is it Ash?"

"Not really."

He nodded slowly. "I'm just not the right guy for you."

"And I'm not the right girl for you."

Again he nodded. "We had fun."

"We still can."

He got up and rummaged for his clothes. "I hope things won't get weird now."

"Me too."

Once he was dressed he kissed her one last time. Just before he shut the door his soft voice filtered over her. "I'm sorry I couldn't fill that void in you."

The first of the tears were already falling before he was totally gone. That void. He'd said it so casually but it was sucking her down. There was this aching emptiness inside her that she couldn't fill. She couldn't even name it. It had started not long after her mother died. She hadn't been sure how to feel about it. She still wasn't. She'd gone to the funeral and listened to the preacher commend her mother's soul unto the Almighty, but she couldn't feel anything about it. She'd gone alone, as her family had respected her wishes to let her do it by herself. Mark had understood. It would somehow taint her new family if they were there. Especially Samantha. The baby had really grown on her after a few years. She was really much more fun once she could talk. But even torturing her father with teaching her sister bad things to say couldn't make her happy anymore. Adam wanted her to see a shrink for her 'depression' but Ash just wasn't sure that's what was wrong. She didn't feel like crying all the time. She wished she could cry more in fact. This was the first time in months she'd indulged in the useless activity. She wasn't mopey. Her work had actually gotten better when all emotion fled her mind. The tag team of her and Shannon had broken up several months back. She'd been bounced back and forth between a few of the guys. Mostly valet work, which was okay. She had a few matches here and there. Just enough to keep her going. But it didn't really matter. She didn't have anything else she wanted to do in life right now. Maybe if she got some aspirations she'd feel better. But this was something she'd found she was good at. So she'd stick with it until she just couldn't handle it anymore. She rolled over and tried to get some sleep, but she knew it would elude her once again.

She walked into the arena the next day with the bags under her eyes covered by makeup. Adam gave her a knowing look. "Get any sleep last night?"

"The usual. Rob and I broke it off though."

"You okay?"

"Do I seem other wise?"

"No, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Sure it does. I'm okay. I'm good actually."

"Who're you kidding? You're anything but okay." He looped her arm around her neck and they walked toward their locker rooms. "See you in a few."

"Yeah." Ash slammed the door open and almost hit someone. "Shit, I'm sorry. No harm done, right?"

"I guess. What's with you, anyway? You've been really weird lately." Torrie shook her blond hair back into place.

"I dunno. Again, sorry. Didn't mean to smack you with a door."

"Just watch where you're going from now on."

Ash snorted and headed toward the benches. She changed and wrapped up her wrists. Her dad had taught her some of his fighting style so she'd taken to almost boxing in the ring. Plus, a few of Rob's moves rounded out her ring style. She got up and shook out her arms and legs. She and Adam were up first. How embarrassing. But they'd deal. She waited for the pre match adrenaline rush, but yet again, it didn't come. She wished, not for the first time, that she could be excited about wrestling again. It made her sick to think how apathetic she'd become about everything. She'd wanted to figure out who she was. It was a truly sad thing when you found out you were no one. She fought so hard to not be someone's something. But now she wanted to just be someone's something special. Still swinging her arms to loosen her shoulders she left the locker room and found Adam waiting in the hall. She shook her head from side to side as they walked to the Gorilla position. There was no need for them to talk before his music hit. He ran out first doing his typical crazy Edge routine and she followed a little slower. She wasn't as bouncy as he was, but she kept up easily so they didn't look mismatched.


	13. Chapter 13

After their match, which Ash only ran interference in, she showered quickly and left without saying bye to anyone. She wasn't feeling particularly social so she went back to the hotel and flopped on her bed. She stared at the ceiling and prayed for sleep to come. She'd been doing that a lot lately. She was still lying there much later when someone knocked on the door. She got up and pulled her jeans on before answering it. Shannon stood on the other side. He looked worried about something. "Hey, can I come in?"

She ran a hand through her hair and moved aside. "What's up? I thought you were mad at me."

"I thought you were mad at me."

"Whatever Shannon. It doesn't matter anymore."

"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

Ash forced a laugh and was pleased that it sounded real. "Why's everyone keep asking me that? I'm just really tired."

"You just seem a little distant lately, Ash. Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

The words were on the tip of her tongue. _I feel like I'm dying inside. Save me_. But she bit them back and faked another winning smile. "I'm sure. Right as rain. Is that all you wanted?"

"Yeah, I guess it was."

"Okay then. I'm gonna get some sleep then."

"You weren't asleep when I knocked?"

"Nah hadn't quite gotten there yet."

"Oh, it's really late. The TV wasn't on when I came in. Were you just laying there?"

"Thinking. Plotting out me and Adam's next match, you know. That kind of thing."

"Right. Well, I'll see you later."

"Bye Shan." Ash leaned against the door after he left. She'd almost spilled everything to him right then and there. She gave a harsh grating laugh at herself. "And why didn't you, stupid girl. He might've been able to make you feel something. Great, now I'm even crazier than I thought I was. I'm talking to myself." She flopped back on the bed without taking her jeans off again. Yeah, Shannon might've been able to make her feel something, but that would mean that she needed him. Needed him to make her feel. No one should need someone else to make them feel emotions. That should just come naturally. But since it wasn't then where was she? Stuck in a hotel room staring at the ceiling all alone. If she were to be brutally honest with herself, everything was her own fault. She'd pushed all feeling and emotions aside until she couldn't remember how to call them back. Shannon had always been good for making her feel something. Whether it was extreme anger or blinding lust, she'd always felt something around him. She was halfway to the door before she realized what she was doing. She would not go running after a childhood friend/enemy in search of the parts of her she'd lost. If she couldn't find those on her own she didn't deserve to have them.

When it got to be after three in the morning and she still hadn't fallen asleep, Ash got up and drove down to a 24-hour drug store. She bought a bottle of Tylenol PM and hurried back to her room. Adam caught up with her in the lobby. "What are you still doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep. What'cha doing?"

"Couldn't sleep and I've got a headache." Ash showed him the medicine. "Were you following me or something?"

"No. Why would I be following you?"

"I don't know. It's just awfully strange that you'd be up this late. You usually sleep like a baby after a show."

"Got a lot on my mind."

"Something worrying that pretty blond head of yours?"

"I guess. Want some company?"

"No, Adam. I'm going to take a few of these and try to get a few hours sleep."

"How many are you supposed to take?"

"Two I think. Do you need some?"

"No, I was just curious."

She spied Shannon putting quarters in a snack machine while sneaking glances at the two of them. "What's going on?"

"Huh?"

"Don't play stupid, Adam. What the hell is going on? Why are you and Shannon going out of your way to ask if I'm okay? And you're both up at some God awful hour when you're usually passed out cold." She looked down at the Tylenol in her hand. "Oh my God. You two think I'm crazy, don't you. You're afraid I'm going to do something stupid, right?" She turned and raised her voice so Shannon could hear too. "I'm not a child. I'm fine. I'm not going to overdose on headache medicine so just leave me alone. Both of you." She stomped toward her room and slammed the door. It wasn't until she was lying in bed, waiting for the drug to take effect that she realized she was angry. She almost laughed. It was a start.

On the general principal of it, Ash refused to speak to either of the guys the next day. Shannon was easy to avoid. Adam, however, was a bit more difficult. Her dad was at home resting after an elbow surgery so they were traveling together. Ash sat in the passenger side and ignored his presence as best she could. "Ash, I'm really sorry. You've just been acting weird lately and it got me worried. And Shannon too when I told him what's been going on. We care about you and we were just concerned."

She looked at him but didn't say anything. If it were Shannon saying these things to her she might've cracked. But it was Adam and she kept silent. She hadn't spoken one word to him by the time they got to Tampa. She'd originally planned to stay at his house, but she was thinking about getting a hotel room now. Of course, knowing her, she'd probably have done that anyway. Being in too close quarters with people now made her feel edgy…no pun intended. She almost cracked a smile at her own joke. Almost. When they got to his house, instead of going inside, she got in the drivers seat. "Say hello to Alanah for me."

"You're not staying?"

"No."

"Please don't be too mad at me, Ash."

"Bye Adam. See you at the show." She pulled out of his driveway and found a hotel quickly. She was tired and sore from sitting in the car for so long. She was at the check in desk when Shannon walked up beside her.

"Guess you hate me now?"

"No more than I ever have."

"And you said once that you never really hated me to begin with."

_Exactly_. "Did I?" _So can you help me?_ "Hmmm." _I'm lost_. "Don't know what I could've been thinking_." I feel like I'm drowning again._ She shook her head because she almost couldn't figure out what she'd said and what she'd thought. She really would drive herself crazy if she kept this up. She grabbed her key card and headed for the elevator. Shannon followed her. _Walk with me until I find my way._ "Why are you following me?"

"I'm staying here too."

_Thank God. _"Are you stalking me or something?"

He shook his head. "No. Look, Adam and I went about everything the wrong way. I'm sorry. Whatever you want from me to make it up to you, I'll do it."

"Anything?" _Please just don't ever leave me alone. _"Go away."

"Is that what you really want?" He narrowed his eyes at her as if he'd heard her thoughts.

She must've hesitated just enough to make him suspicious. "Yeah." _Not at all. _

"I'm not sure I believe you."

"What else do you want me to say, Shannon?"

"I'd like you to talk to me, Ash."

"We are talking, Shannon." _Why can't you just let him help you?_

"I can help you."

"Help me what?"

"Figure things out. Why didn't you tell me you and Rob broke up?"

"Must've slipped my mind."

"Something like that just slipped your mind?"

They got off the elevator on the same floor. "Yeah I guess so."

"So you're as heartless as I thought you were, huh?"

She rounded on him with shock on her face. "What?"

"You didn't care about me, you didn't care about Rob. Do you care about anyone but yourself?"

She closed her eyes against the image of this Shannon. She slid the little card in the slot and opened her door. "No, I guess I don't."

"Dammit, Ash, get mad at me!"

She turned to look at him again. "Why?"

"Because it's what you're good at. Because you're scaring the shit out of me. And because I…never mind."

_Say it. Just please say it. _"Oh God. You're not back to those silly professions of childhood love again are you?"

"No. No I'm not making that mistake again." He turned and left without another word.

Ash tossed her stuff down and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The eyes that stared back were dead. She almost didn't recognize herself. After a quick phone call to her boss, she checked out of the hotel and got in the car. She'd drive until she made it to her destination or got too tired. Maybe she could out run her problems. Or maybe they'd get lost somewhere along the highway.

Shannon felt bad about his earlier attempts to fuel Ash's temper. He'd really been too nasty to her. He went back to her room and knocked on the door. When she didn't answer he went down to the front desk. She'd checked out? Where the hell had she gone? He called her cell phone and got her voice mail after one ring. She'd turned the damn thing off. After making a few more calls he found out she'd gotten some time off but hadn't gone home. Or even called home. He had only one idea and hoped to God it was the right one.

Ash opened the door to the little cabin that had had such an impact on her life. She smiled in nostalgia and dropped the bottle of Bacardi she'd picked up on the table. She stripped down and got in the shower. After she was done, she put on cotton pants and a tank. She opened the liquor and took a big swallow. The fiery liquid felt good going down her throat. She felt it warming her stomach and sat down on the couch to watch the sunset through the window. She'd left instructions with the front desk with some small hope. But as the hours and the light faded, that hope died with every sip of rum she took.

It was well after midnight by the time Shannon got to the cabins they'd stayed in when he'd brought her to New Orleans. He saw her rental car outside the very same one and knocked on the door. When he didn't hear any movement from within he ran for the office. He didn't know what he'd tell them, but he'd think of something. To his surprise, the desk clerk smiled at him. "Mr. Moore?"

"Yes."

"Here's you key sir. Enjoy your stay."

He gladly accepted the offered key and ran back to the cottage. His fingers fumbled with the lock but he finally got it open. Fearing the worst he almost laughed when he found Ash. She was on the couch with a bottle of Bacardi Rum clutched to her chest. He assumed she'd passed out and took it from her hands. She mumbled something unintelligible and rolled her head to the side. "You came."

"Yeah. Yeah I did."

"Why?"

"I had to find you. You gave everyone quite a scare. Why'd you leave so quickly?"

"I had to find out."

"Find out what, Ash?"

"If I could still feel."

"Feel what?"

"Anything."

"Baby," he ran a hand through her hair but she jerked away drunkenly.

"I only feel things when you're around. That's so wrong on so many levels. So I'm all fucked up you see."

"No, I don't see. Talk to me."

She shook her had violently and he worried that she'd make herself sick. "I want to. I do. But the words get all fucked up before they get to my mouth."

"Try, baby, please just try."

"I wanna be normal again, Shannon. I want to be like I was when we came here together. I want that back. I wanna be happy again."

"When did you stop being happy?"

"The easy answer is when my mom died. But it's deeper than that. Her death was the catalyst for all of this shit. When I was standing there at her grave all I could feel was emptiness. She was my mother, Shannon. My fucking mother. And I couldn't feel a damn thing. It was like something crawled inside me and ate every bit of emotions I'd ever had."

"Ash, she was abusive to you. I'm not surprised you weren't sad when she died."

"But I should've been. She was still my mother. I should've at the very least felt something. Even pleasure that the old bitch was gone would've been okay. But there's nothing. There's still nothing. It's like I'm dead inside."

"You're not dead inside, Ash."

"Then make me feel something. I'm begging you. Please, help me."

"I don't know if I can."

She let her head fall down to her chest. "Then I'm fucked."

"Don't say that."

"It's true." The defeat in her voice nearly brought him to tears.

He climbed on to the couch beside her and pulled her into his lap. He cradled her like he would a baby and rocked her in his arms. She nestled her head to his chest so she could hear his heart beating. "I did mean what I said back at the hotel. I am over my crazy childhood notions of love. They've developed into something more grown up. When I hold you like this all I can think of is keeping you here in my arms forever."

"You're just saying that because you think I'm crazy."

"No, Ash. I'm telling you the honest to God truth. And I want the Ash that I brought here so long ago back too. You were so carefree then. As if nothing in the world could infringe on the happiness we had while we were in this little cabin. I miss you." He heard her broken sob and held her tighter. "I don't care if we have to rent this place indefinitely I'll help you get that back. We'll block out the whole world if we have to."

"You'll loose your job."

"Fuck it."

"But all you've ever wanted to do is wrestle. I won't take that away from you."

"Goals change, Ash. I want you to be happy again."

"And all I've ever done is take from you."

"Not true. You've given me so much back. But I want more. I want you back. Even if you're hurling stuff at my head and locking my hair in doors. I'll take what I can get. I just want you back the way you were." She sobbed again and it seemed that all the grief she should've been feeling all along was finally coming out. She cried until her face was puffy and she could hardly see for her swollen eyes. The whole time Shannon held her and whispered things in her ear that made her cry harder. Finally, sheer exhaustion took over and she slept.

She woke feeling more rested than she had in months. She had a crick in her neck and her legs were stiff. Shannon hadn't moved for fear of waking her up so they'd slept in an awkward position on the couch all night. She slowly got up and stretched her achy muscles. She waited for the creeping sense of apathy to come over her but it never did. She screwed the cap back on the Bacardi and put it in a cabinet. When she went back in the living room Shannon was awake and looking at her expectantly. "I'm not going to break down again."

"How do you feel?"

"I'm not sure. I'm a little embarrassed about last night."

"Don't be."

"Easier said than done. You weren't the one who balled like a baby for two hours."

"Says who? You fell asleep. I could've while you were passed out."

"You're trying to make me feel better."

"Is it working?"

She thought about it for a minute. That little voice at the back of her head was silent for the first time in months. "Yeah. I think you are."

"Then I'll keep this up if you don't mind."

"No, I don't think I do."

"So do you wanna talk about anything?"

She shrugged. "What do you wanna know?"

"What happened, Ash?"

She sighed and pulled her legs in tight against her chest. "I'm not sure exactly. Somewhere along the way of me trying to figure out who I was I realized I wanted to be somebody's. The very thing I was rebelling against is what I wanted the most. The thought of being with someone because I needed to be was appalling to me, though. So I fought it. I thought that being with Rob would help things but it really just made them worse. I figured out he wasn't the person that could fill this void that had started to grow inside of me. In fact, being with him just made it worse. The more time we spent together, the more alone I felt. When my mother died the loneliness became almost unbearable. Nobody can understand what that was like for me. Hell, I'm not sure I even understand it myself. Here I was, completely free of any painful ties to my past, and I couldn't be happy. I couldn't be anything. Part of me wanted so badly just to reach out to someone. But I couldn't. Or wouldn't. Both I guess. Maybe because I was so used to keeping things so close to myself I just couldn't let go of that notion. If you don't let anyone in you can't get hurt. But I was hurting myself so badly that I was starting to think the damage would be irreparable. So I came here with the hope that something would trigger some emotion in me. And I left instructions at the desk to give you a key if you showed up. I guess some part of me was hoping so badly that you would. That if anyone understood me it would be you. And here you are. I could always count on you when we were kids. I knew you'd let me do whatever I wanted to you and you'd keep coming back for more. I guess I hoped that even though I was pretty rough on you, you'd come back again. At least one more time."

"And I'll keep coming back however many times it takes. I'm not gonna give up on you. No matter what."

"Thank God for that. And thank God for you, Shannon Moore."

**Wow i finally uploaded it, thanks to all of you who reviewed this! please take the time to read my new fiction called The Cat's Meow! 3 3 3**


End file.
